


The Hart II: Highway

by bamby0304



Series: The Hart [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Death, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 10:06:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 139,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18754249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bamby0304/pseuds/bamby0304
Summary: Off on her own, without the Winchesters, Bobby, Ellen or Jo, Lizzie tries to get back to what she does best… hunting. But time is running out, Dean’s soul is on the line, and now everyone is knows Lizzie is psychic like Sam. Can the brothers and Lizzie work through their problems? Or will they lose everything?





	1. Two Weeks

**Author's Note:**

> So, I know in the show it's only been five days since the end of the last season and the beginning of this one, but I made it two weeks instead. Just to add a little more time since Liz left the guys. Thought I'd let you know :):)
> 
> Bamby

**SPOV**

I sat in the front seat of the Impala, going through yet another book on lore centred around deals with demons and such. As tiresome as it was becoming, I was determined not to give up. I would save Dean, if it was the last thing I did.

Loud music turned on from inside the hotel room the Impala was parked in front of. _You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet_ by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

Looking up, I found myself staring at Dean in the open window as he lifted both hands to give me two thumbs up, and an excited grin. With a nod and a smile from me, he closed the curtains to the window. But I could still see his shadow, which was now accompanied by the shadow of one of the two women he had in the room with him.

Chuckling, I shook my head and turned back to the book a moment before my phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I answered.

" _Hey, Sam._ "

"Hey, Bobby."

" _What are you doing?_ "

"You know, same old, same old."

" _You buried in that book again? Sam, you wanna break Dean free of that demon deal you ain't gonna find the answer in no book._ "

"Then where, Bobby?"

" _Kid, I wish I knew,"_ he sighed. " _So, where's your brother?_ "

Right on cue, I could hear Dean laughing inside the hotel room, just as his shadow disappeared.

"Polling the electorate."

" _What?_ "

"Never mind."

" _You boys better pack it up. I think I finally found something._ "

...

I knocked on the door to the hotel room, knowing perfectly well what I might be walking in to. But after talking to Bobby, and getting all the details from him, I waited a little while longer before coming to get Dean. I'd hoped the wait would give him and the women time to finish what they were doing so I wouldn't be walking into anything I didn't want to see.

"Dean?" I slowly and carefully began to open the door when there'd been no answer. "Dean, you conscious? Bobby called and he things that maybe we-" I poked my head into the room and made the mistake of looking towards the bed. There, in a tangle of limbs, was my brother and the two women, still very busy. "Oh, God!" I ducked out of the room as fast as possible, now scarred for life.

**DPOV**

I couldn't wipe the grin of my face. Time may be coming to an end for me, but I was enjoying the ride down.

"Let me see your knife," Sam spoke from beside me in Baby.

I looked to him for a moment before turning back to the road as I drove. "What for?"

"So I can gouge my eyes out," he answered.

I laughed. "It was a beautiful, natural act, Sam."

"It's a part of you I never wanted to see, Dean," he countered.

"I appreciate you giving me quality time with the Double Mint Twins."

Two weeks had passed since the gates of hell had opened. Two weeks since we'd been trying to find any signs of demonic possession seeing as we let out an army that night. But it had been two weeks of nothing.

So, I'd decided to let loose a little and enjoy the time I had left. Hence the twins.

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, no problem."

"Really?" I was a little surprised. "I gotta say, I was expecting a weary sigh or an eye roll. Something."

"No, not at all. You deserve to have a little fun."

"Well, I'm in violent agreement with you there." I laughed again, feeling pretty good. "What's Bobby got?"

"Not much. Crop failure and a cicada swarm outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. Now, it could be demonic omens-"

"Or it could just be a bad crop and bug problem," I finished.

"Yeah, but it's our only lead."

"Any freaky deaths?"

"Nothing Bobby could find. Not yet anyway."

"It's weird, man." I shook my head, not feeling right about the situation. "I mean, the night the Devil's Gate opened, storm clouds were sighted over how many cities?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen." I nodded. "You'd think it'd be _Apocalypse Now_. It's been two weeks and bupkes. What are the demons waiting for?"

"Beats me."

"It's driving me crazy. I tell you, if there's gonna be a war, I wish it'd just start already."

"I don't know, man. Careful what you wish for."

...

The place Bobby wanted to meet at was a farm just outside of Nebraska. Driving up the dirt road, we could see him already waiting, leaning against his car outside of the farm house, hands in his pockets.

As I stopped the car and we got out, Sam spoke, "You hear those cicadas?" They were everywhere…

"Well, that can't be a good sign," I noted, closing my door.

"No," he agreed as we started to walk. "No, it can't."

Bobby pushed off his car, looking to me. "So, we're eating bacon cheeseburgers for breakfast, are we?"

"Well, sold my soul." I shrugged, mouth full of food. "Got a year to live. I ain't sweating the cholesterol."

"So, Bobby, what do you think?" Sam started, getting to business. "We got a biblical plague here or what?"

Before Bobby could answer, the sound of a car had us all turn. We watched as the vehicle headed our way, a little faster than necessary, a cloud of dust behind it. When it came to a stop, it left marks on the road at the sudden brake. Once the dust and dirt settled we could see the car. It was a dark cherry red 1969 Chevy Camaro, and it was beautiful.

The door opened. The first thing we saw was a black boot landing on the ground, followed by tight dark jeans on long legs. A thin, loose white tank, deep red leather jacket, dark glasses and long golden hair that was pulled back and up.

Elizabeth Rose Hart.

She looked no different since the last time we saw her, yet she seemed more gorgeous than ever before, and equally as dangerous.

Neither Sam or I hadn't seen her during the two weeks that had passed. Sure, we'd been separated a lot longer than that when she wasn't well, but we'd still talked. We still knew where she was. We could have gone and checked up on her back then. Now? Now things were different.

Sam had called Bobby one day to see how she was doing. It was about two days after everything that had happened at the Devil's Gate. Both of us knew she was going to need some time, she'd been pretty upset that night. I wasn't a hundred percent sure why, but I got the message anyway. What Bobby told him hadn't sat right with either of us. Liz had left his place the day after everything. She'd borrowed one of the cars from his yard, and just left.

Before joining Sam and me, she used to come and go as she pleased. But she would still check in. Whether it be with Bobby, Jo, Ellen or Ash, someone knew where she was and what she was doing. This time, though, _no one_ had seen or heard from her in two weeks, and we were all a little worried.

"'Bout time you got here." Bobby gave her a pointed look.

"Bobby. Winchesters." She nodded to each of us as she headed up the stairs of the porch. "I came by earlier, checked the place out-"

"By yourself?" I didn't like the sound of that. I didn't like her hunting on her own. Especially with all the demons out there, and the fact that she was like Sam.

After we'd all separated that night, Sam had explained a few things. He told me the truth about Liz. How when Meg possessed him she forced Liz to drink her blood, which triggered her abilities that had been dormant. He didn't tell me why her abilities hadn't shown up like everyone else's, though. But he did tell me how she saved him from Madison, the werewolf, and how she'd kept Jake back to try and save her and Sam.

If you had told me a couple of years ago that my brother and one of my closest friends had special powers... I would have freaked out. But that wasn't the case anymore. They were two of the most important people in my life.

"Yes," she answered coldly. Lifting her hand, she opened the front door to the house without touching it. "I'm perfectly capable on my own."

We stepped into the house, and I almost doubled over the moment I was hit with a smell like nothing I'd ever experienced before. "That can't be a good sign," I noted, pulling out my gun as Bobby and Sam did the same thing.

"It's not." Liz didn't even look at us as she walked through the house.

We were right behind her, looking around, making sure everything was safe and secure. But she didn't seem to care. She just walked through like it was her own home. As if she were certain nothing had changed or come here since the last time she was here.

The door in front of her opened on its own. Well, we all knew it didn't open on its own. She opened it. Just like she had with the front door. Only, she hadn't lifted her hand this time. She'd just looked at the door and it did as she wanted.

 _She's getting stronger, better at control._ I wasn't too sure if that was a good or bad thing.

It seemed Bobby had the same reservations as I did. "Lizzie, do you think you should be doing that?" he asked her.

"You mean should I be using the ability I was given by a demon?" She shrugged. "If I start murdering people and worshipping Satan, then I give you permission to shoot me."

The smell was worse in this room, more intense. If I hadn't been so preoccupied thinking about Liz, I would have heard the faint screaming before coming from the TV.

We were in a small living room, three people seated on the couch. At least they used to be people. They were quite clearly dead. By the looks of them, they would have been dead for some time.

"Oh, my God," Sam groaned, his face turned up in disgust at the smell. "What the hell happened here?"

"I don't know. I just found them like this." Liz shrugged. "I've checked for sulphur, there's nothing. Bedrooms are in order, kitchen is stocked, there aren't any signs of a break in or attack. I've got nothing." Her tone made it seem as if she were both impressed, confused and annoyed by the anomaly.

The sound of the something wooden creaking outside had all of us tense and shut up.

I gestured to Bobby and Sam, telling them to go one way, while Liz and I would go the other. She didn't look very happy about that, but we didn't have time to argue. Pulling her gun out of the back of her pants, she gave me a nod before we started for the back door, heading out, while Sam and Bobby headed around to the front door.

Stepping out first, I was careful and quiet. Walking on to the porch, I moved to the railing and looked out to see if I could spot anyone or anything. When I found nothing, I turned and began to move further down the porch.

Before I knew what was happening I was hit in the back with something, and then pushed to the ground.

Looking up, I found a man and a woman glaring down at me, the man aiming his shotgun at my face. But they both froze at the sound of a gun cocking as Liz stood behind them.

"Tammy, tell your husband to lower his gun."

The woman stiffly turned to Liz, surprise on her face. "Elizabeth?" She has a heavy British accent.

"Issac? Tamara?" Bobby spoke as he and Sam finally came around the corner.

"Bobby?" Tamara looked from Liz to Bobby. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," Bobby countered, smiling at her.

The couple relaxed as the man- Issac- lowered his gun from my face, turning to Bobby. "How are you?" he asked, giving the older man a pat on the shoulder. "You too, Lizzie. It's been awhile."

"Hello?" I lifted my hand and gave a wave to get their attention. "Bleeding here."

Rolling her eyes, Liz ignored me and smiled at Tamara. "Please tell me you have a place you're holed up in? I am so not in the mood to stay at a sleazy motel."

"Of course." Tamara smiled, nodding to Liz as the two women started to walk off. "So, what's with the extra baggage?"

"Winchesters," was all Liz said as they continued to walk off.

_Winchesters? That's all she's got to say? And in that tone? What the hell did we do to her? And when did we become 'extra baggage'? What the hell?_

**EPOV**

It was dark outside now. Bobby, Sam, Dean and I had followed Issac and Tamara, they'd brought us to a run down, abandoned house, just outside of town. All their things were here, everything anyone could ever need to kill monsters and whatnot. Their collection of items had always amazed me.

The first time I met Issac and Tamara had been in my early hunting years.

Bobby had saved me from my first hunt, which had been about revenge. I was naive, and had no idea what was doing, the hunt turned wrong, fast. That's how Bobby and I first met. He'd taken me in, began to teach me everything how to become a hunter- we both knew I wasn't going to quit- and then we'd gone off to hunt together. We were dealing with a witch situation when we found out Issac and Tamara were on the same case.

Tamara had taken an instant liking to me, treating me as if I were her sister or daughter. She was protective and cautious, but also fun and excited. She ended up showing me a few things that even Bobby hadn't known. Issac had been just as nice and supportive of my decision to hunt

It had only been a few months since their wedding, but with how they acted around each other, you'd think they were new lovers. At the same time, it was like they'd been together forever, like they were made for each other. They were so in love and so in sync. It amazed me.

I remember thinking that what they had was something I wanted. Back then I hadn't even kissed a guy yet. Just under a year into being a hunter and I was more innocent than most people would have realised. Holding a guy's hand would have been a big step for me. So the idea of finding a guy who loved to hunt as well, and getting married and having a family with him, it was the ultimate dream.

"So, Jenny, is it? That's a beautiful name." Dean was in the background, talking on the phone. "That's my sister's name. Yeah."

Ignoring him, I watched as Tamara and Issac moved about.

"Honey... where's the Palo Santo?" Issac asked. I'd always loved their British accents.

Tamara gave him a pointed look. "Well, where'd you leave it?"

He sighed, "I don't know, dear, that's why I'm asking."

"Palo Santo?" Sam asked from where he stood by a counter, looking at the many things Tamara and Issac had.

"It's holy wood," I explained. "Found in Peru." When he gave me a question look, I shrugged, "I'm not just a pretty face, Sam. I know a lot more than you realise." Grinning, I went on, "Palo Santo is toxic to demons, like holy water."

Tamara came to stand beside me, looking through the bag that sat on the bench next to me. "Keeps the bastards nailed down while you're exorcising them," she told him as she pulled out the Palo Santo stake before handing it to her husband.

"Thank you, dear."

She shook her head, chuckling at him. "You'd lose your head if it wasn't for me."

Sam watched the couple, amused. "So how long have you two been married?"

"Eight years this past June," Tamara answered.

Issac leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead before speaking to Sam. "The family that slays together..."

"Right, I'm with you there." Sam nodded. "So, how'd you get started?"

My head snapped in his direction. "Dude, seriously?"

He instantly realised his mistake. Smile now gone, he looked so guilty as he tried to apologise. "Oh, you're not... I'm sorry. It's not... it's none of my business."

"No, no, it's... it's all right," Tamara assured him.

Dean walked back into the room then, distracting everyone from the awkwardness. "Well, Jenny, if you, uh, look as pretty as you sound then I'd love to have an appletini." He looked to Sam, the idea of having an appletini clearly not sitting right with him. "Yeah. Call you." He smiled before hanging up. "That was the coroner's tech," he told us.

"And?" Sam pressed.

"Get this. That whole family, cause of death, dehydration and starvation. There's no signs of restraint. No violence. They just sat down and never got up."

That made no sense...

"But there was a fully-stocked kitchen just yards away," Bobby noted.

"Right." Sam looked just as confused as I felt. "What is this, a demon attack?"

Bobby shrugged. "If it is, it's not like anything I ever saw and I've seen plenty."

"Well, what now? What should we do?" Dean asked.

But it was Issac who spoke up, his answer not what either Sam, Bobby, Dean or I wanted to hear. "Uh, _we're_ not gonna do anything."

I turned to look at him, not liking the sound of that. "What are you talking about?"

"You guys seem nice enough," he looked from Sam to Dean, "but this ain't _Scooby-Doo_ and we don't play well with others."

"Well, I think we'd cover more ground if we all worked together," Sam suggested.

But it was clear Issac wasn't changing his mind. "No offence. But we're not teaming with the damned fools who let the Devil's Gate get opened in the first place."

Dean pushed off the bench turning to Issac. "No offence?"

Before anyone else could speak, Tamara turned to her husband. "Issac. Like you've never made a mistake."

"Oh, yeah. Locked my keys in the car." Issac nodded. "Turned my laundry pink. Never brought on the end of the world though."

Dean gave a short unamused laugh. "All right. That's enough."

Sam looked exhausted already, and nothing had even happened yet. "Guys, this isn't helping. Dean."

"Look, there are a couple hundred more demons out there now," Issac started. "We don't know where they are. When they'll strike. There ain't enough hunters in the _world_ to handle something like this. You brought war down on us. On all of us."

He was right though. Well, partially at least. We did play a part in the opening of the gate. But if we're being honest here, it would have opened anyway. I mean, if Dean hadn't of made the deal, if Sam and I had stayed dead, Jake would have opened the gate anyway.

That didn't make me feel any less guilty though, and as I looked around the room, I realised I wasn't the only one feeling bad about the situation.

Shaking her head, Tamara grabbed her husband's arm. "Okay. That's quite enough testosterone for now," she said before dragging him out of the room.

"All right..." I sighed, looking to the three men left with me. "Maybe we should go find a hotel."

...

I sat on my bed, in my room, on my own.

The two weeks that had gone by since I'd left the brothers, I had done a lot of thinking, and a bit of hunting as well. I'd finished a couple of haunting jobs on my own, and used the rest of my spare time to just drive around and think.

Sam and Dean were friends, family. I cared about them. That was a problem.

Ash was dead. I'd lost yet another person I cared about. Dean was going to die in eleven months. All I'd have left would be Bobby, Ellen, Jo and Sam. Before long, I'd lose them too, and I couldn't go through with that. Dealing with the loss of loved ones, and the pain… it was going to kill me.

Which is why I'd told the brothers and Bobby to get their own rooms and do whatever they want, while I stuck to my room and did a little more research on the town.

It was getting close to midnight when there was a knock on my door.

Unfolding my legs, I got up and headed over. Peeking through the peephole I sighed before unlocking the door and opening it. "What do you want?" I asked, turning away and walking over to my bed again.

"Nice to see you, too." Dean followed me in and closed the door.

"I repeat, what do you want?" Taking a seat on my bed as I focused on my computer, I refused to look at him. "Thought you and Sam would have made good use of the local bar by now. Found a girl or two to have some fun with. Not like you've got a lot of time left."

He scoffed, shaking his head before storming over and closing my computer. "What's your problem?"

Finally looking at him, I glared. "What's _my_ problem?" Shaking my head, I once again unfolded my legs and moved to stand, not caring as I got in his personal space. "My problem is that for years I'd done a fantastic job at keeping people at arm's length and then I do one job, _one_ job with you and your brother, and my life is turned upside down."

"What the hell happened? What did Sam and I do to piss you off so much?" He almost sounded offended.

"Sam?" I gave a harsh laugh. "Sam did nothing."

He looked hurt, confused and clearly angry at my answer. "Me? What the hell did I do to you?"

"It doesn't matter. I've learnt my lesson." Shoving past him- harshly bumping his shoulder on the way- I moved to my bag. "Now, I work alone."

"Then why are you here?" He followed me. "Why are you at this job?"

"Bobby asked me to come," I mumbled, hating that I loved the old man enough to go against everything I wanted and needed to do for myself.

Grabbing my shoulder, he turned me around to face him. "That's bull." He looked into my eyes, searching them. "Why are you really here? Is it... did you come to see me? To see Sam and me?"

Stepping even closer to him until our chests were pressed together, I looked from his eyes, to his lips as I neared them with my own. My voice low as I spoke, my hands gripping his jacket tightly.

"I'm here to find something to kill."

Whatever we'd shared before was gone. At least for me it was. The sex had been great, the guy had been great, everything had been great. He was sweet, caring, smart, funny, and the perfect amount of badass and bad-boy.

But none of that mattered to me anymore.

Letting him go, I grabbed my purse, phone and keys off the table and started for the door. "Lock up when you leave."

"Where the hell are you going?" he called after me.

"Out!"

**SPOV**

Standing outside on the path I watched as a forensics team went over a crime scene. I wasn't a hundred percent sure what had happened, but it didn't feel right. Women don't just attack and kill other women for shoes... did they?

Walking into the store where the shoes were bought, I walked up to Dean, catching the end of his conversation with one of the store's staff members.

"What happened outside makes you realise how fragile life really is," he told her, though I noticed how he was only putting half his normal effort in. "You gotta make every second count."

I cleared my throat, getting both his and the woman's attention.

He offered a kind smile. "Excuse me a minute, would you?"

"Sure." She nodded with a small smile of her own before walking off.

Once she was gone, I sighed at my brother. "Dean, what are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Comforting the bereaved. What are you doing?"

"Working," I answered simply. "Dead body. Possible demon attack, that kind of stuff."

We'd heard about the incident while we were out getting breakfast. Once we had our food- Dean insisted we finished eating first- we went back to the hotel to find Lizzie. But apparently, she already knew about the case, because when we got to her room there was no answer.

Bobby had called her and found out she was posing as an agent at the police station, asking the attacker questions. Not liking her working by herself, Bobby had then left Dean and I to go join her.

It surprised me at how protective and fatherly he was when it came to her, and yet through the years he'd taken care of us we'd never seen or heard of her.

"Besides..." I chose my words carefully as I went on. "What about Lizzie?"

"What about her?"

"Well, you two did have a thing," I noted.

"Exactly. We _had_ a thing. Past tense, Sammy. It's over."

"So, what? Now you're just friends?"

He gave a sharp nod. "Exactly."

I knew they liked each other. I knew they were both good for each other. The only problem I'd had was the fact that they were only casual. If Dean was going to settle down with anyone, it would be Lizzie.

"And you know," he turned to look at the woman he'd just been talking to, "I don't have much time left. You gotta make every second count."

"Yeah. Right." I rolled my eyes, wondering how many more times he was going to play that card. Yet it still worked every time. "I'm sorry."

His smile returned. "Apology accepted."

Bobby and Lizzie walked up to us then, Bobby dressed in his suit while Lizzie had ditched her usual pants suit. Instead she wore a tight black pencil skirt that fell mid-thigh and a white button up top with black heels, her hair twisted into a neat bun and some make up on. During the whole time she'd been with Dean and I, she'd never put so much effort into how she looked. Even I couldn't resist looking her up and down…

"Looking spiffy, Bobby." Dean completely ignored Lizzie. "What were you, a G-man?"

"Suspect wasn't possessed." Lizzie got straight to the point. "But there is clearly something wrong with her if she's willing to mercilessly kill someone over a pair of ugly-ass green heels."

Bobby nodded, agreeing with her- about the possession, of course. "There's none of the usual signs. No blackouts, no loss of control. Totally lucid. Just think she really wanted those shoes-"

"Those ugly-ass green shoes," Lizzie slipped in as Bobby went on.

"I spilled a glass of holy water on her, just to be sure. Nothing."

"Maybe she's just some random whack job," Dean suggested.

Bobby didn't seem too convinced. "If it had been an isolate incident, maybe. But first the family, now this? I believe in a lot of things. Coincidence ain't one of them. Did you boys find anything around here?"

I shook my head. "No sulphur. Nothing."

"Well, maybe something." Dean turned and nodded to a security camera up in the corner before he turned back to me. "See? I'm working."

**EPOV**

I sat on the desk by the computers where Sam and Bobby were watching the security footage of the store. With one foot over the other, my legs stretched out in front of me, I was well aware of the fact that Dean couldn't stop glancing at them.

"Anything interesting?" I asked, turning a little so I could see the screens as well.

"I don't know, yet." Sam shrugged, just as a man walked into the store on the screen. "Might just be a guy. Or it might be _our_ guy."

I watched the guy, seeing him rest a hand on the attacker's shoulder before the two of them looked over to the victim as she stood by the shoe stand.

"That's him." There was no doubt in my mind. The look on his face, the way he touched her. "That's our guy." Pushing off the desk I started for the door.

But Dean was right there to stop me, stepping in my way. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to go find the son of a bitch, and I'm going to send his ass back to hell," I answered as if to say 'duh'.

"No." He shook his head. "We're doing this together."

"Dean's right," Bobby spoke from behind me. "Lizzie, I don't want you going off on you own. Not when we don't know who this guy is."

Sighing, I didn't bother putting up a fight as I turned to Bobby. "Fine. But just so everyone is clear, once this job is over I'm gone again. I don't need babysitting anymore."

**Bamby**


	2. Seven Sins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Implied smut… like, almost smut… which is also a little dub/con. Second chapter and I'm already dishing out the warnings… wow…
> 
> Bamby

**DPOV**

Bobby yawned from the driver's seat next to me. "What time is it?"

The two of us- plus Liz, who was in the back- were in Bobby's car watching over a bar. We'd spent the day looking around, trying to get any information on the guy in the security footage, and this is where we'd been led.

Now that it was dark, and the bar was open, we were waiting for Sam to come back and for the guy to arrive so we could get this over and done with.

Lifting my arm, I checked my watch. "Seven past midnight."

Bobby turned to look at the bar. "You sure this is the right place?"

"No," I answered without skipping a beat. "But we spent all day canvassing this stupid town with this guy's stupid mug, and supposedly he drinks at this stupid bar-"

I was cut off at the sound of something hitting the roof car. Both Bobby and I jumped as Liz laughed, the three of us looking out my window, finding a grinning Sam standing there.

"It's not funny." I glared at him.

He laughed and opened my door. "Yeah."

"It is," Liz finished as Sam pulled my chair forward and climbed into the back with her.

"All right, so..." Sam started, getting comfortable. "John Doe's name is, uh, Walter Rosen. He's from Oak Park just west of Chicago. Went missing about two weeks ago."

"The night the Devil's Gate opened?" I asked.

"No, a different night," Liz responded sarcastically.

I turned in my seat to look at her. "If you have a problem working with us, you can leave."

"What, and let you have all the fun? No." She glared. "Besides, it's my case, I was here first."

"So, what, now you're five?"

"Would you cut it out?" Bobby sighed, shaking his head. "What the hell's gotten into the two of you."

"Nothing," both Liz and I answered at the same time as I turned to face the bar again.

"So, are we thinking this guy's possessed?" I asked, getting back to business.

"It's a good bet," Sam answered. "So, uh, he just walks up to someone, touches them, and they go starcraving psycho or something?" He had a good point.

"Those demons that got out of that gate, they'll be able to do things we haven't seen," Bobby noted.

"You mean, the demons we let out."

Before anyone could ask Sam, I noticed someone walking towards the bar. "Guys." It was our man. "All right. Showtime." I unbuckled my seat belt.

But before I could get out, Bobby stopped me. "Wait a minute."

"What?"

"What did I just say? We don't know what to expect out of this guy. We should tail him till we know."

I shook my head, not liking that plan. "So he kills someone and we just sit here with our junk in our hands?"

"We're no good dead!" he snapped at me. "We're not gonna make a move till we know what the score is."

"Hey, Bobby, I don't think that's an option."

Bobby turned to Sam. "Why not?"

The sound of car doors closing had us all look outside to see Issac and Tamara walking away from their car and towards the bar entrance.

Bobby hit the steering wheel, agitated. "Damn it."

**EPOV**

We'd waited awhile before leaving Bobby's car. As much as he was right, as much as we really did have no idea what we were walking into we couldn't exactly sit on our asses when Issac and Tamara were in danger.

But as we tried to open the bar's doors, we found it locked.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean kicked at it.

We all froze at the sound of Tamara screaming inside.

With the door locked and our friends trapped, I found myself ready for action. "Bobby get the car, reverse it in, we're throwing one of these assholes in the trunk." I knew he'd painted a trap in there for any just-in-case moments. "Guys, go with him, get the holy water."

Sam looked to me, concerned and confused. "What are you gonna do?"

Stepping away from the door, I lifted my hands as I got ready. "I'm gonna buy us some time."

All three of them dashed off without wasting a second. Once they were gone I concentrated on the doors. The wood and metal groaned before the doors flew open and were ripped off the hinges.

I found Tamara being held back by a waitress as the seven black eyed demons and my friend watched Issac drink some kind of thick, poisonous cleaning liquid.

"No!" I lifted my hand, sending the bottle flying across the room.

But it was too late. Issac's body shook as blood leaked from his nose and mouth. He fell to the floor, hard and unmoving. He was dead.

"You bastards." I glared at the seven demons.

The guy we'd come here for- Walter Rosen- turned to grin at me. "Man, you really walked into the wrong place," he chuckled.

A petite blonde spoke up, looking me up and down. "I like her." She licked her lips. "I could think of about a thousand things I'd like to do to her."

I sneered at all of them, knowing perfectly well that if I tried to throw all of them away with my mind it would just be like a slap to the face for them. I wasn't strong enough, yet. But that didn't mean I was powerless.

Looking around, I willed all the salt shakers to lift before I used my mind to crush and smash the glass. All the salt went flying through the air, everywhere in the room.

The demons yelled and screamed as the salt cut into them. The moment Tamara was released I used my mind to push at the demon that had been holding her, giving my friend enough time to rush over to me right as Bobby's car backed in through the entrance where the doors had been before I ripped them off their hinges.

Bobby and Sam got out of the car, bottles of holy water in hand. They began to throw water at the demons, keeping them back as Dean opened the trunk. I walked Tamara over to the car as she struggled, but I used both my mental and physical strength to get her in.

"I got her," Sam offered, getting in to hold Tamara back.

I turned in time to see Walter heading for Dean as Bobby dealt with the others. Before either Dean or Walter could do a thing, I lifted my hand and threw the demon into the trunk, closing and locking him in.

Dean looked surprised, his eyes meeting mine. "Thanks."

"No problem." I nodded, hurrying over to the other side of the car. "Bobby, let's go!" I yelled as I climbed into the vehicle behind Dean, not even caring that I had to sit on his lap. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

**DPOV**

"And I say we're going back," Tamara argued.

We were back to her and Issac's place, the demon tied up under a devil's trap. Liz and Tamara had told us what happened, how Issac was touched by one of the seven demons and then drank some kind of cleaning product until Liz stopped him. But it had been too late, and now he was dead.

Bobby was trying to figure out what we were dealing with, Sam and Liz were trying to talk to Tamara, while I leaned against a wall and simply waited.

"Just hold on a second," Sam insisted.

"I left my husband bloody on the floor." Tamara was pissed.

"Tamara, I understand, but we can't just go back." Liz was gentle as she spoke.

"Fine." Tamara shrugged. "Then you stay. But I'm heading back to that bar."

I sighed. "I'll go with her."

"It's suicide, Dean," Sam called after me.

I looked over my shoulder at him. "So what? I'm already dead."

Liz stormed over and put herself between us and the exit. "I will not let either of you walk out of here."

I didn't doubt her. Tamara was too pissed to have mentioned seeing Liz throwing people and things around with the power of her mind. But I'd seen what she could do. I knew she'd ripped the bar doors away. She'd thrown the salt around the room. She threw the demon into the trunk. She was strong. She could keep us from leaving.

"How are you gonna kill them?" Sam spoke up again, talking to Tamara and myself. "You can't shoot them. You can't stab them. They're not just gonna wait in line to get exorcised."

"I don't care!" Tamara yelled.

"We don't even know how many of them are!" Sam yelled back. "There could be more."

"There's not." Bobby stepped forward, reading from a book of lore. "Do you have any idea who we're up against?" He looked to me and Tamara, voice tense. "The Seven Deadly Sins. Live and in the flesh."

I scoffed, unsure of how to react, so I did the first thing that came to mind, which was to grin and say, "'What's in the box?'."

Liz rolled her eyes. "Is now really the time to quote Brad Pitt?"

_How does she know everything?_

Bobby slammed the book closed, making me flinch. "That's Binsfeld's classification of demons. In 1589, Binsfeld ID'd the Seven Deadly Sins. Not just as human vices, but as actual devils."

"The family," Sam started. "They were touched by Sloth. And the shopper..."

Liz nodded, catching on. "Touched by our friend, Mr Envy."

"I couldn't suss it out at first, until Issac." Bobby looked to Tamara. "He was touched with an awful gluttony."

"I don't give a rat's ass if they're the Three Stooges or the Four Tops." Tamara was seething. "I'm gonna slaughter every last one of them."

Bobby stepped up to her. "We already did it your way. You burst in there half-cocked and look what happened!" Sam, Liz and I shared a look as Bobby kept ripping into Tamara. "These demons haven't been top side in half a millennium. We're talking medieval, Dark Ages. We're never faced anything close to this. So we are gonna take a breath... and figure out what our nest move is!"

Suddenly Liz stepped forward, resting a hand on Bobby's chest to push him back a little as she spoke a little more softly to Tamara. "I'm sorry for your loss, we all are. But we're not gonna let you walk out of here."

**EPOV**

Envy laughed as the five of us walked into the room and stood in front of the devil's trap he was stuck in, tied to a chair. "So, you know who I am, huh?"

"We do," Bobby answered, a lot calmer now. "We're not impressed."

"Now, why are you here?" Sam started. "What are you after?"

Dean gave the demon a second, when there was no response, he pushed for an answer. "He asked you a question. What do you want?"

Envy looked to each of us, laughing lightly. Dean simply tossed some holy water on him, making him flinch back and grunt in pain. "We already have what we want," he answered. "We're out. We're free. Thanks to you, my kind are everywhere. 'I am legion, for we are many'. So, me, I'm just celebrating. Having a little fun."

"Fun?" Sam did not look pleased or impressed.

"Yeah. Fun. See, some people crochet, others golf. Me..." Envy turned to look me up and down. "I like to see people's insides on their outsides."

"Don't look at her." Dean's tone held warning as he stepped in front of me protectively.

Tamara moved closer to Envy, glaring at him. "I'm gonna put you down like a dog."

"Please." He grinned. "You really think you're better than me? Which one of you can cast the first stone, huh? What about you two, Dean and Elizabeth?" He turned to us. "You're both practically two walking talking billboards of lust, with the added bonus of gluttony. And Tamara. All that wrath? Ooh." He shook his head and clicked his tongue disapprovingly at her. "It's the reason you and Issac became hunters in the first place, isn't it? It's so much easier to drink in the rage than to face what really happened all those years ago."

Stepping forward again, Tamara back handed him. Twice. She only stopped because Bobby and Dean pulled her back.

Envy just laughed. "My point exactly. And you call us sins. We're not sins, man. We are natural human instinct. And you can repress and deny us all you want but the truth is, you are just animals. Horny, greedy, hungry, violent animals. And you know what? You'll be slaughtered like animals too." He grinned. "The others? They're coming for me."

Dean nodded. "Maybe... but they're not gonna find you because you'll be in hell." He grinned as Envy's smirk fell. "Someone send this clown packing," he told us as he started to leave the room.

"My pleasure." Tamara took the book from Bobby and began to read as the rest of us left the room.

Once we were in the next room, Bobby, Sam, Dean and I huddled into a circle to talk about our situation and what we were going to do to get out of it.

"I don't think we're gonna have to worry about hunting them," Bobby noted.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked.

"Envy's right," I sighed. "They're the ones hunting us. They're probably already on their way, and they're not gonna give up. Not without a fight."

"You guys should take Tamara and head for the hills. I'll stay, slow them down, buy time," Dean offered.

"You're insane, Dean." Sam shook his head. "Just forget about it, okay?"

"Sam's right," Bobby agreed.

Dean looked to each of them. "There's six of them, guys. We're out-manned, we're outgunned. We'll be dead by dawn."

Bobby shrugged. "Maybe, but there's no place to run to that they won't find."

"Look, if we're going down, we're going down together, all right?" Sam looked to his brother, leaving no room for argument. I had a feeling he was talking about more than just tonight.

Dean had no choice but to nod. "Well, let's not make it easy for them."

The sound of Envy screaming had as all look to the other room, seeing Walter Rosen's body slumped over as Tamara closed the book and started towards us.

"Demon's out of the guy," she told us.

"And the guy?" Sam asked.

She walked past without looking to either of us as she answered, "He didn't make it."

...

The sound of a radio turning on had me walk into the room where Sam and Dean were getting ready. We'd salted all the doors and windows that led outside, drawn a few devil traps around the place, and set up a few more things that could help us survive. But I still had my doubts.

"You ready?" I asked the brothers.

Dean got up from where he'd been sitting on the floor and moved over to hand me one of the guns he held. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"There's nothing you wouldn't do." I took the gun from him. "Just don't get yourself killed."

"Same goes to you."

"Tamara!" Issac yelled from outside.

Dean, Sam and I hurried to one of the windows. Looking out, we watched as Issac limped towards the porch. We knew it was one of the demons in him, but we also knew how fragile Tamara was.

"I should go make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." I went to turn, but Dean grabbed my arm, keeping me from going.

He gave me a pointed look. "Bobby's got her. You stay up here with Sam and me. We stick together."

"Tamara!" the demon in Issac yelled again. "Tamara! Tamara! Help me! Please! Tamara! I got away, but I'm hurt bad. I need help."

I shook my head, knowing Tamara would be struggling. "If someone doesn't shut him up, she's gonna do something stupid."

"Dean's right." Sam looked down at me. "Bobby's got her."

There was a banging on the front door downstairs. "Baby! Why won't you let me in? You left me behind back there. How could you do that? We swore at that lake in Michigan, remember? We swore we would never leave each other."

My heart broke. Issac and Tamara had loved each other more than anyone I ever knew. The pain she must be going through...

"You're just gonna leave me out here? You're just gonna let me die?" His voice changed from desperate to spiteful, "I guess that's what you'd do, dear. Like that night those things came to our house. Came for our daughter. You just let her die too."

"You son of a bitch!" Tamara screamed.

"Tamara, no!" Bobby yelled after her.

But it was too late.

Sam, Dean and I moved away from the window to leave the room as we listened to the sound of people entering the house. The demons were in.

"You know what to do?" Dean asked us.

I gave a sharp nod. "Trap 'em and pack 'em. We got it."

"Good," was all Dean said before the three of us split up.

**DPOV**

I was rushing through the halls of the abandoned house when I felt someone grab my arm and turn me. It was a small, pretty, blonde girl. I went to hit her, but she just grabbed my arm and pushed me away, grinning as I began to back up. She was strong. Stronger than I anticipated. Too strong for me.

Backing up into what used to be the bathroom, I looked her up and down. "I suppose you're Lust."

"Baby, I'm whatever you want me to be."

"Yeah, all right. Just stay back."

"Or what?"

I didn't have an answer. "Good point."

She grinned again. "Mm. I'm not gonna hurt you. Not yet." She stepped forward, her hand running up my chest and to my shoulder. "Not unless you want me to."

I heard something like whispers in my ear, and then, I had no control over myself as I leaned forward and crashed my lips on to hers.

**SPOV**

I'd been waiting in a room, listening as the sound of some of the demons headed my way. The door to the room flew off its hinges as three of the demons walked in.

The one in the lead, a man in a suit, stepped forward. "Here's Johnny!" He grinned before coming to a stop as he looked up at the roof where a devil's trap sat. "Come on. You really think something like that is gonna fool someone like me? I mean, _me_?"

"Let me guess." I looked him up and down. "You're Pride."

He grinned as an answer, lifting his hand to crack the ceiling and destroy the trap. "Mm. The root of all sin. And you," he stepped forward, "are Sam Winchester." When I looked at each of them nervously, wondering how they knew who I was, Pride went on, "That's right, I've heard of you. We've all heard of you and Elizabeth. The prodigy. The Boy King and his Queen."

 _Queen?_ I had no idea what he meant by that, but now was not the time to let it distract me.

"Looking at you now, I gotta tell you, don't believe the hype. You think I'm gonna bow to a cut-rate, piss-poor human like you? I have my pride, after all. Now with your yellow-eyed friend dead, I guess I don't have to do a damn thing, now do I? You're fair game now, boy, and it's open season."

**EPOV**

None of the demons had come after me, so I'd gone after them, which is how I found Dean making out with one of them. Lust.

"Hey, bitch."

Lust pulled away from Dean to sneer at me, but before she could even blink I lifted my hand and sent her flying across to the other side of the room, onto the devil's trap we'd put in the bathtub… that was full of holy water.

She screamed, trying to get out, but was trapped.

I grinned, proud of myself. Which considering who we were dealing with I know it was wrong to feel that way. But before I could scold myself, my waist was grabbed as Dean turned me to him and pushed me against the wall.

"What are you-"

He cut me off, his lips crashing onto mine.

My mind was a blur of incomprehensible muddles and puzzles of thoughts I'd once had. Kissing Dean always left me confused. But I enjoyed drowning in the feel of him and the mess in my brain.

Only, now was not the time to be making out. Now was not the time for an unfocused mind.

I pushed him away to take a breath and stop him. It worked… kind of. Instead of kissing me again, he moved his lips to my neck where he nibbled and sucked on the skin, his hands grabbing onto the hem of my shirt to try and undress me, his hips pressing into mine.

There was no point in telling him to stop. Even through the haze of him and the screams coming from Lust, I knew what was happening. He was under a spell, and it seemed the only way to break it was to break the thing that put it on him.

**SPOV**

Pride had me on my knees in a headlock as he laughed. I struggled against him, groaning and grunting, trying to get the upper hand. But it was clear who was going to win here. Well, it _was_ clear…

There was a commotion behind us which had Pride letting me go and turning. I got to my feet and looked over, seeing the other two demons dead as Pride and a girl I'd never seen before fought. I grabbed his shoulder, turned him and punched his face, giving the girl enough time to lift her knife and stab him through the chin.

I'd never seen a knife kill a demon before, but somehow, hers did.

Once he was on the ground, I looked to her. "Who the hell are you?"

She shrugged a little out of breath, just as I was. "I'm the girl that just saved your ass."

"Well, I just saved yours too," I noted.

She smirked. "See you around, Sam," with that, she turned and left.

I called after her, tried to follow. But she was already gone.

**EPOV**

I used both my mental and physical strength to push Dean away enough so I could grab my phone out of my pocket. Looking over his shoulder as he moved to attach himself to my neck again I flicked through my phone and found an exorcism.

He'd just stared to grind against me as I began to read, " _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus_ _omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio_ _infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,_ _omnis congregatio et secta diabolica._ _Ergo draco maledicte_ _et omnis legio diabolica_ _adjuramus te._ _Cessa decipere humanas creaturas,_ _eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare._ "

His hands grabbed my thighs and lifted me so my legs wrapped around him as he thrust harder, dry humping me. "Liz," he moaned.

I closed my eyes for a moment, regaining my control before I continued to read, " _Vade, Satana, inventor et magister_ _omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis._ _Humiliare sub potenti manu dei,_ _contremisce et effuge, invocato a_ _nobis sancto et terribili nomine,_ _quem inferi tremunt."_

He pressed himself against me, the lump in his pants digging into my core. I could feel myself getting wetter as my body refused to ignore what he was doing to me.

When his hand slipped into my shirt and grasped my breast my words faltered, but I soldiered on, " _Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine._ _Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire_ _te rogamus, audi nos._ _Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris,_ _te rogamus, audi nos."_

Prying the cup of my bra down, Dean's fingers pinched and pulled on my nipple as he brought his lips down to suck and bite on my breast. Grunting and groaning, he thrust against me harder, more urgently and needy. It took all my willpower not to cave into my own desire.

" _Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo._ _Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem_ _et fortitudinem plebi Suae._ _Benedictus deus. Gloria patri._ "

Lust screamed as the demon left the body of the girl. The black smoke fell through the floor, and straight into hell.

Dean froze for a spilt second before he pulled back to look at me, his hand slipping out from under my shirt. I got to my feet and pushed him away, hurrying out of the room in the hopes that he wouldn't come after me.

**DPOV**

Sam and I had place the bodies of the demons' vessels into a hole we'd dug before we salted and burned them. Bobby was inside with Liz, packing up the gear, while Tamara stood by her husband's burning body, saying good bye. We'd put him separate from the others, so she could have some space.

"Think she's gonna be all right?" Sam asked as we looked over to Tamara.

"No, definitely not," I answered honestly. Bobby came over to stand with us then, looking worse for wear. "You look like hell warmed over."

He sighed. "Well, you try exorcising all night, see how you feel."

"Any survivors, Bobby?" Sam asked.

Bobby nodded. "The girl Lizzie exorcised and the heavy guy. They'll make it. Lifetime of therapy bills ahead, but still."

"It's more than you can say for these poor bastards." I nodded to the bodies in the hole in front of us.

Sam shifted on the spot. "Bobby, that knife. What kind of blade can kill a demon?"

He'd told us what had happened. How a strange girl had come in with some weird knife, killed the demons and saved his life.

Bobby shrugged. "Yesterday I'd have said there was no such thing."

"I'm just gonna ask again." I turned to Sam, grinning, "Who was that masked chick? Actually, the more troubling question would be how come a girl can fight better than you?"

Sam just gave me a pointed look. "Lizzie saved your ass too."

I was instantly on the defensive. "I would have handled it. I had a plan."

"Sure you did." Sam rolled his eyes. "But if you want a troubling question, I got one for you. If we let out The Seven Deadly Sins, what else did we let out?"

He had a good point... and I did not feel too good about that. "You're right, that is troubling."

**EPOV**

"I want you to call me. Like, every week," I told Tamara as we walked around the house towards our cars, hand in hand.

She looked over to me, a sad smile on her face. "I'll miss you. I always do."

"I miss you, too."

She looked a little nervous as she spoke again. "You could... you could always come with me."

Sighing, I shook my head. "Honestly, you're better off without me."

That's how I felt. People that got close to me died. It wasn't my fault exactly, but sometimes it felt that way. So as much as I would have loved to have some girl time with a friend, or to go home with Bobby, or hit the road with the guys, I knew I couldn't.

"I get it." She sounded sad, but I knew there were no hard feelings. Coming over to the guys as they stood together, Tamara gave them a nod. "See you gents around." She didn't stop as she walked past them.

"Tamara?" Bobby called, causing both her and I to stop and turn to him. "World just got a lot scarier. Be careful."

"You too." She looked to each of us and gave my hand a squeeze before letting go and walking off to her car.

I stepped up to the guys, standing next to Bobby as he spoke to Sam, Dean and I. "Keep your eyes peeled for omens. I'll do the same."

"You got it." Dean nodded.

Turning to me, Bobby pressed a kiss to my forehead, a fatherly gesture reserved for when he was worried. "Don't do anything stupid."

"You know, me." I pulled back to smile up at him. "I'm a pillar of stability."

Shaking his head, he didn't even respond as he walked away, heading to his car, leaving me with the Winchesters.

Once we were alone, Sam spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen between us. "You know… you can come with us, Lizzie. We kinda miss the company."

Without looking at them, I shook my head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna pass."

"Why?" Dean asked, sounding a little offended and worried.

"I told you when we all agreed to work on this case together. Once it's over, I'm off. Gone. On my own again. Nothing that happened last night changed that." Turning to look at them then, I gave a short and casual shrug. "Look, I'll probably see you guys around. Just, take care of yourselves and watch each other's backs."

I was about to walk away when Dean spoke and stopped me. "Who's gonna watch yours?"

Giving another simple shrug, I looked to the brothers. "I can take care of myself." Not letting either of them stop me this time, I turned and walked away, never looking back.

**DPOV**

Sam and I headed for Baby. Bobby, Tamara and Liz were gone, it was now just the two of us. To be honest, I'd wanted it to be the three of us. I wanted Liz to join us again. But I knew things were still complicated, and she still had some issues, and last night was awkward... so, for now, it was just Sam and I, and that was cool.

"So, where to?" I asked him.

"Uh..." He thought about it before answering. "I don't know. I was thinking Louisiana, maybe."

"Little early for Mardi Gras, isn't it?"

"I was talking to Tamara and she mentioned this Hoodoo priestess outside of Treefort that might be able to help us out, you know, with your... your demon deal."

"Nah."

He looked confused. "'Nah'? What does that men, 'Nah'?"

"Sam, no Hoodoo spell's gonna break this deal. It's a goose chase," I explained.

"We don't know that," he argued.

"Yes, we do," I insisted. "Forget it, she's can't help."

"Look it's-"

I cut him off. "We're not going and that's that. What about Reno? Huh?"

"You know what?" He sighed, shaking his head. "I've had it. I've been bending over backwards trying to be nice to you and I don't care anymore."

"That didn't last long."

"Yeah, well, you know what? I've been busting my ass trying to keep you alive, Dean. And you act like you couldn't care less. What, you got some kind of death wish or something?"

"No, it's not like that."

"Then what's it like, Dean?"

"Sam-"

"Please, tell me."

Giving up, knowing he wasn't going to let it go, I told him. "We trap a Crossroads demon. Trick it, try to welch out way out of the deal in any way, you die. Liz too. Okay? You both die. Those are the terms. There's no way out of it. If you try to find a way, so help me God, I'm gonna stop you."

Truth is, only one of them came back because of my deal. But I couldn't be sure which one it was, and it really didn't matter. Either way, if we messed with the deal one of them dies.

He shook his head at me, hurt in his eyes. "How could you make that deal, Dean?"

"Because I couldn't live with you dead. Either of you," I answered simply, because it was the truth. "Couldn't do it."

"So, what now? I live and you die? Lizzie lives and you die?"

"That's the general idea, yeah." I nodded, turning to continue for the car.

"Yeah, well, you're a hypocrite, Dean." He followed me. "How did you feel when Dad sold his soul for you? 'Cause I was there. I remember. You were twisted and broken and now you go and do the same thing. To me. To Lizzie. What you did was selfish."

"Yeah, you're right, it was selfish, but I'm okay with that."

"I'm not."

"Tough. After everything I've done for this family, I think I'm entitled." I grinned. But when he continued to look at me, disappointed and less than pleased, I sighed. "Truth is, I'm tried, Sam. I don't know, it's like there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

"That's hellfire, Dean."

"Eh. Well, whatever. You're alive, Liz is alive, I feel good for the first time in a long time. I got a year to live, Sam. I'd like the make the most of it. So, what do you say we kill some evil sons of bitches and we raise a little hell? Huh?" I nodded, and walked away.

"You're unbelievable."

Reaching the car, I turned to grin at him again. "Very true."

**Bamby**


	3. Surprise

**EPOV**

Smile on my face, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door in front of me. It had been a few weeks since I'd finished the case with Bobby and the Winchesters. Since then, I'd found some anomalies in a town I'd been driving through. Two fathers and a baby sitter had died in the same week. All of them home accidents.

I'd been planning on just driving through town, but there was something telling me to stay and check the place out. Which is why I was here, at the front of some lady's house, a flyer in hand.

The door opened, revealing a young woman a few years older than me, with dark, thick, long hair and large, gorgeous brown eyes.

"Hi?" She looked at me confused.

"Hi." My smile widened as I lifted the flyer. "I heard you're looking for a sitter?"

"Oh. Yeah. Yes." She nodded, smiling back at me. "I'm Lisa Braeden." She offered me her hand.

"Elizabeth Hart." I reached forward to shake her hand with my own. "But please, call me Lizzie."

**DPOV**

I walked into the diner where Sam sat at a table, on the phone and his laptop in front of him. As I reached him, he quickly hung up and closed the computer, which I found a little suspicious.

"Hey." He tried to act casual as I sat across from him.

"Who was that?" I nodded to his phone.

"Oh, I was just ordering pizza."

I looked around us. "Dude, you do realise you're in a restaurant?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, oh, yeah. I just felt like pizza, you know?"

"Okay, Weirdy McWeirderson." Placing my newspaper on the table, I opened it up to a possible case. "So, I think I got something."

"Yeah?"

"Cicero, Indiana." I turned the paper to show him. "Falls on his own power saw."

He grabbed the paper and gave it a quick read before turning to me, a little unsure. "And? What, that's it? One power saw?"

"Well, yeah." I shrugged.

"And you think that this is a case?"

"Well, I don't know. Could be."

"I don't know, Dean-"

I cut him off, dropping the act, "All right, there's something better in Cicero than just a case."

He grinned, no doubt knowing where this was going. "And that is?"

"Lisa Braeden," I answered simply, smiling widely at him.

He chuckled, dropping the paper. "Should I even ask?"

"Remember that road trip I took eight years ago? You were in Orlando with dad wrapping up that Banshee thing."

"Yeah, yeah. Five States, five days."

"Well, kind of. I spent most of my time in Lisa Braeden's loft."

He scoffed. "So, let me get this straight. You wanna drive all the way to Cicero just to hook up with some random chick?"

"She was a yoga teacher. That was the bendiest weekend of my life. Come on, have a heart, huh? It's my dying wish."

"Yeah, well, how many dying wishes are you gonna get?"

"As many as I can squeeze out," I answered without missing a beat. "Come on. Smile, Sam. God knows I'm gonna be smiling after twenty-four hours with Gumby girl." We both chuckled. "Gumby girl. Does that make me Pokey?"

...

I'd dropped Sam off at a hotel before coming over to Lisa's. Standing on her front porch, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door. As I waited, I looked over my shoulder at the balloons on the mailbox, wondering what they were doing there.

The door opened. I turned to see Lisa looking as gorgeous as she had all those years ago.

It took her a moment, but when she realised who I was she smiled, her face beaming. "Dean!"

"Lisa. How's it going?"

"Wow." She gave a light laugh. "So how long's it been?"

"Eight, going on nine years now." I nodded, still giving her a charming smile. "Crazy, right?"

"Yeah. So… what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just... I was just passing through, and I couldn't resist." I shrugged. "I remembered that you love surprises."

"Yeah. Dean Winchester. Wow, just wow." She laughed again. "I'm sorry. You kind of came at a bad time. We're having a party."

That piqued my interest. "Party? Well, I love parties."

...

A kid's party. A party full of kids. Kids everywhere.

_What the hell?_

Sure, I liked kids. But this was not what I'd been expecting when I decided to come see Lisa again. I certainly hadn't thought she'd be a mum, but by the looks of things, she wasn't just throwing this party for the neighbourhood.

"So, who's the party for?" I asked as we stepped into the back yard.

"Ben." She smiled. "My son."

"Oh, you have a...?"

"Yep." She gestured over to some people sitting at a table. "That's him."

I looked over to see a kid with short, dark hair in jeans, a black shirt and a jacket grinning as he unwrapped a present which turned out to be a cd.

"Yes! ACDC rules!" He turned to the woman next to him. "You're so awesome!"

Looking to the woman, I tensed. _Liz?_

She smiled down at the kid, ruffling his hair. "Happy birthday, kid."

Watching the scene in front of me, I decided to ignore Liz for the moment as I turned to the kid again. There was something about him, something familiar...

"How old-"

"Eight," Lisa cut me off to answer my unfinished question. "Could you excuse me a minute?" Without waiting for an answer, she was off.

I kept watching the kid, wondering. It had been just over eight years since I'd seen Lisa. This kid was eight. He dressed like me, looked like me, had the same taste in music as me… could he be? Was he my son? Did I have a son I didn't know about?

As I pondered the thought, Liz looked up, her eyes meeting mine. As much as I couldn't stop wondering about the kid, I also couldn't stop looking at her.

She wore her usual red leather jacket, but instead of jeans, a tank top and boots, she wore a grey dress the fell just above the knees and clung to her, and brown sandals, with her hair falling down her back. She looked relaxed, and casual, and as good as she always did.

_Yeah, sleeping with Lisa is clearly not gonna happen._

**EPOV**

I walked over to the table where Lisa and I had set up the food for the party. I'd noticed Dean the moment he'd walked out of the house with Lisa, but waited until she went back into the house and he moved to the food, before I went over to talk to him.

Dean was looking down at the cake on the table, grinning at the little cars on the frosting road.

"I made it," I told him as I stopped on the other side of the table.

He looked up, surprised that I was talking to him and that I'd made the cake. "You made this?"

"Yeah." I shrugged, grabbing the knife to cut a slice. Putting it on a plate, I handed it over. "It's chocolate. Can't have a kid's birthday party without some chocolate."

Slowly, he began to relax, returning my smile with one of his own. "So, you like kids and can bake? Always something knew to learn."

"I'm a never-ending list of surprises." I grinned.

Things still weren't good between us. I knew he didn't know why I was so upset, and I'd rather it stayed that way. But just because things were a little rough right now, didn't mean I hated him. He was my friend. I loved him and Sam like family. So being able to act friendly with him right now, to act normal, it was nice.

Movement over his shoulder caught my attention. I looked over, seeing two mum's whispering to each other as they glanced over at Dean every now and then.

"You've got some fans, I see." Speaking to Dean, I gestured to the women.

Looking over his shoulder, he found them smiling at him. "Hi." He gave them a charming grin.

"Hi." The dark haired one looked like she could barely breath.

While the red head looked like she wanted to eat Dean alive. "Hello."

Chuckling, I shook my head and walked around the table to stand next to Dean. "You wanna meet the birthday boy?"

"Uh… yeah, sure." He nodded, tearing his eyes from the mums as he followed me over to the Moon bounce.

Ben was leaning against the fence, watching the kids, waiting. He was a cool kid. We'd gotten along in an instant. He was funny, smart, and cool. So cool. Coolest kid I knew. I mean, what eight-year-old is obsessed with my Chevy Camaro, loves classic rock, dresses like he's some kind of badass and is totally chill with everything? He was the best.

**DPOV**

"Hey, bud." Liz smiled at him, offering the plate of cake she'd gotten for him. "Got you an extra big piece. Don't tell your mum." She winked.

Bed grinned up at her. "Thanks Liz."

I looked from the kid to Liz. Only I called her that. I'd never heard anyone else call her that...

Ben glanced up at me. "Who's the guy?" he asked her.

"Ben, this is Dean. Dean, this is Ben."

"He your boyfriend?" The kid actually had the nerve to stand up straighter and size me up.

Liz laughed. "No. Just a friend."

"Cool." Ben shrugged, a little more relaxed now that I wasn't a threat, apparently. The kid had a crush. But who could blame him? "What's up?" he asked me.

I shrugged back. "What's up with you?"

"Lizzie?" someone called from inside the house.

"Oh, uh, I gotta go." Liz smiled down at Ben. "Keep an eye on Dean for me, okay? He tends to get himself in trouble," she told him. Turning, she grinned at me before walking off.

Both Ben and I watched her walk away, our eyes following her until she disappeared. Once she was gone, without even realising it, we both took a piece of our slices of cake and ate it.

"So, it's your birthday," I noted, trying to start a conversation.

"Guilty."

"It's a cool party."

"Dude, it's so freaking sweet. And this Moon bounce? It's epic." The way he spoke, he was so excited but so cool about it as well.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome," I agreed.

"You know who else thinks they're awesome? Chicks." He punched my arm. "It's like hot-chick city out there." Putting his plate down on the table next to him, he then hurried off to the Moon bounce. "Look out, ladies, here comes trouble."

I stood there for a moment, doing the maths and how much the kid was like me...

Spinning around, I bumped into a trash can as I hurried for the house, needing to find Lisa to get some answers.

Walking into the house, I found Lisa watching one of the mum's leading her daughter out of the house. I could tell, just by looking at the scene, that things were tense and something was clearly wrong. But it was none of my business, so I wasn't going to push for answers, just as long as Lisa was okay.

"Hey." I walked over to lean on the kitchen bench by Lisa. "So, I met Ben. Cool kid."

"Yeah." She nodded, but here attention was still on the other mother.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice that he's turning eight," I hinted. But when she just looked confused, I went on. "You and me. You know..."

She laughed, moving to check the oven. "You're not trying to ask me if he's yours?"

Seeing her reaction, I quickly tried to reassure her. "No, no, of course not." But I knew that not knowing would kill me, so I had to ask, "He's not, is he?"

Slamming the oven closed, she turned to me. "What? No." By the look on her face, I wasn't sure if that was the truth or if she was keeping the truth from me.

But I knew better than to push, so I simply nodded. "Right." Changing the subject, I gestured to where the mum and daughter form before had left. "Something wrong with your friend?"

"She's been through a lot. Her ex just died in this horrible accident."

Pushing off the bench, I wondered if this accident was the same one that Sam and I were meant to be looking into. "Didn't I read about that? The power saw?"

"Yep." She nodded, voice soft, clearly upset. "I guess there's been a lot of bad luck in the neighbourhood lately."

This caught my attention. "What kind of bad luck?"

**SPOV**

I sat at a diner, on my own, researching, again. I was in my own little world until someone came to stand by my table. Looking up, I found it was the woman who'd saved me the other week.

She sat on the chair across from me, smiling. "Hello, Sam."

"You've been following me since Lincoln," I noted, tensing up, getting ready for anything. I didn't know or trust this girl, despite the fact she'd saved my life.

She closed my laptop. "Not much gets by you, huh?" Reaching over, she grabbed one of my fries and took a bite out of it. "Mm," she groaned in pleasure. "These are amazing. It's like deep-fried crack. Try some."

Ignoring the fry talk, I looked around to make sure no one was listening before leaning forward and speaking in a low voice. "That knife you had, you can kill demons with that thing?"

"Sure comes in handy when I have to swoop in and save the damsel in distress." She grabbed the small plate the coffee mug had sat on, then grabbed the ketchup.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Skymail," she answered, squeezing a ridiculous amount of sauce onto the plate.

"Why are you following me?"

She smiled, finally giving me an answer I could believe and work with. "I'm interested in you."

"Why?"

"Because you're tall." Dunking the fry in the sauce, she then took another bite and continued to answer my question, "I love a tall man. And then there's the whole antichrist thing."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, generation of psychic kids. Yellow-Eyed Demon rounds you up, _Celebrity Deathmatch_ ensues, and you're the sole survivor."

"Elizabeth survived as well," I countered. "She's still alive, and can actually use her powers. I can't. Besides, how do you know about all that?"

"I'm a good hunter." She shrugged, grabbing another fry. "And I'm not here for Elizabeth. Yellow Eyes had big plans for _you_."

" _Had_ being the key word."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah." She nodded. "That's right. Ding-dong, the Demon's dead. Good job with that. But it doesn't change the fact that you're special. In that Anthony-Michael-Hell ESP-vision kind of way."

"Nope. None of that stuffs happening anymore. Not since Yellow Eyes died." It was the truth.

Actually, I thought that would be the case for Lizzie too, but when I saw her use her abilities the other week, I'd wondered if it was because of Meg's blood. She was the only one of our kind to have a recent dosage…

"I'm thinking you're still a pretty big deal." The woman shrugged. "I mean, after all that business with you mum."

Anyone saying anything about my family got my attention and made me put up my defences. But to hear this strange woman speak as if she knew some kind of secret, that had me on edge.

"What about my mum?"

"You know, what happened to her friends." She noticed when I tensed my jaw, having no idea what she was talking about but also getting pissed that she knew something I didn't. "You don't know. You've got a little bit of catching up to do, my friend." Reaching over, she grabbed my hand and pen before she began to write on my palm. "So why don't you look into your mum's pals, and then give me a call and we'll talk again." She finished writing and stood up, smiling at me.

I looked down at my palm, reading the phone number she'd written down.

"And by the way, you do know there's a job in this town, right?" she told me before turning around and leaving.

Just as she left my phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I answered it.

" _Dude._ " It was Dean. " _There is a job here._ "

I looked over to the door where the woman had left, wondering how she would have known that and why should told me instead of doing it herself. "Really?"

" _Yeah. You know that one freak accident we read in the paper? Turns out there's four more that never even made the paper. All in this Morning Hill gated community. People falling off ladders, drowning in Jacuzzis all over the neighbourhood._ "

"That is weird."

" _Yeah, something's up. Something these nice big gates can't protect them from. Oh, and guess who's already working the job?_ "

**EPOV**

I sat outside in the backyard of one of Lisa's friend's house. She'd lost her husband recently. He'd fallen off a ladder in their back yard while changing one of the outdoor light bulbs. Being the babysitter for one of the friendlier mums meant getting people to trust and talk to me was pretty easy.

Karen- the mum- walked out of the house, having just answered the front door. The person who'd been out the front was right behind her. The person being Sam, dressed in a suit, undercover.

"Once again, I'm very sorry to disturb you. We just wanna expedite that life-insurance policy," he told Karen.

"Of course." She nodded as she turned to me. "Uh, Lizzie, you don't mind do, you? I'll just be a moment."

Offering a kind smile, I shook my head. "It's fine."

Sam looked over to me for a moment, an understanding passing between the two of us. He knew I was on the job just like him. He also knew that I would know more than he did. I could tell, he wanted to work together, just like the good ol' days. Chances were, I'd go with it too. I'd always had a hard time saying no to Sam.

Karen- oblivious to the silent message sent between Sam and I- showed him to the ladder where he husband had fallen. "This is where he fell."

"I see." Sam moved closer to the ladder. "Now, how exactly did he...?"

"He was just inside, changing a light bulb. Must've lost his balance."

"Were you here when this happened?" Sam asked.

"No, I was out," she answered. "The only one here was our daughter, Dakota."

I watched Sam as he did a scan of what he could see of the house. His eyes landed on the same thing I'd noticed the moment I arrived. Some kind of red mark was under one of the windows. It appeared to be blood, but we couldn't be sure.

Standing in that window now was Dakota. She watched Sam and I with a look in her eyes as if she wanted nothing more than for us to go, and she was willing to do whatever it took. It honestly scared the crap out of me.

"Okay, well, I think that's all I need." Turning back to Karen, Sam got back to business. "I'll get out of your way now."

She nodded. "Thank you." Turning around, she went to walk off when Sam noticed something on the back of her neck.

I'd seen it as well, when I first got here. It was some kind of bite, but all so a bruise like something had sucked on the skin. I had no idea what it was, but it was a clue.

Sam looked to me again, yet another silent message being passed between us.

Understanding, I got to my feet and smiled at Karen. "Look, I should probably head off, too. Maybe we can catch up later?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, of course." She rested a hand on my arm. "Thanks for coming by to check on us, Lizzie. You're too sweet."

"Please, anything for a friend of Lisa's." I then gestured to Sam. "I'll show him out. You go make sure Dakota's okay."

"That'll be great, thanks." She gave me a small smile as she then walked off.

Sam and I headed for the front door to leave. We didn't say a word until we were on the front porch, heading to my car.

"You get a taxi here?"

"Dean had the car," he answered.

"You staying at Cicero Pines Motel?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yep." I pulled my keys out. "Got nothing better to do, so why don't I drop you off? Then I'll get back to work."

He laughed lightly then. "Dean told me you're a babysitter. Also told me the kid has a crush on you. And that he thinks the kid might be his."

"Wait..." I came to a stop. "What?"

"Yeah." Sam stopped as well, going on, clearly not seeing my confused face. "He hooked up with Lisa eight or so years back. They spent an entire weekend together. That's why we're here. Because, you know, the deal."

I just rolled my eyes. "Right. The deal." Sighing, I continued for the car.

If I was being completely honest, now that I thought about it, Ben could be Dean's. There were so many similarities between the two of them. I'd even say Ben was practically a mini Dean. The way he dressed, spoke, even ate. All his likes and dislikes...

_Oh my God..._

**DPOV**

I was heading for my car when I noticed Ben sitting on a bench in the park alone. I thought about leaving, but when I saw how upset he looked, I found myself walking over to him.

"Hey, Ben."

He looked up at me. "Hey. Dean, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded, moving to sit next to him. "So, where's your mum? Or Liz?"

"Mum's busy cleaning up the house. Liz is getting ice-cream," he answered, looking down at a leather pouch he held in his hands that sat on his lap.

"Everything okay? Something wrong?" I asked, but he simply shrugged. I looked to the pouch and then around the park, seeing a group of four kids crowded together as one played on some kind of game. "That your game they're playing with?"

Ben answered, but didn't look up as he spoke. "Ryan Humphrey borrowed it. And now he won't give it back."

I shifted to get up. "You want me to go-"

Before I could finish my sentence, he grabbed my arm to stop me from going. "No. Don't go over there. Only bitches send a grownup."

I was surprised, amused and impressed by the kid. "You're not wrong."

"And I'm not a bitch," he assured me, letting go of my arm.

I laughed. "Is that Humphrey? The one who needs to lay off the burgers?" Ben grinned and nodded at my question. "Hmm... well, here's what you gotta do."

**Bamby**


	4. Children of the Corn Anyone?

**EPOV**

I was walking over to the bench where I'd told Ben to wait. But instead of seeing Ben sitting there, I sighed at the sight of Dean.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, taking a seat next to him.

"Saw Ben, thought I'd come over," he answered as he gestured in front of us.

Looking over, I just caught sight of Ben as he kneed some kid in the privates twice. Once the kid was down Ben took the game out of the kid's hand, said something to him and then hurried back over to Dean and I.

I'd flinched when Ben had kicked the kid, but I felt a little proud too. He was suck a little badass.

A wide smile on his face, Ben high fived Dean. "Dude, that was awesome."

Dean smiled back at him. "Nice work."

But the celebrations were cut short at the sound of Lisa's voice. "Benjamin Issac Braeden." She stormed over to us. "What's gotten into you?"

"He stole my game," Ben told her defensively.

"So you kick him? Since when is-" She stopped and looked to Dean. "Did you tell my son to beat up that kid?"

"What?" Dean shrugged, trying to act casual. "Somebody had to teach him how to kick a bully in the nads."

The look Lisa gave him was only a look a mother could give, and it had me backing off and looking away. "Who asked you to teach him anything?"

"Just relax, I-"

Dean didn't get to finish as Lisa grabbed his arm and walked him a few steps away so she could talk to him without Ben or me hearing what she had to say. Little did she know, we could still hear her, and we were both listening.

"What are you still doing here? We had one weekend together a million years ago. You don't know me. And you have no business with my son."

Dean looked offended. "Lisa."

Turning away, she moved to Ben. "Just leave us alone," she told Dean as she got Ben to his feet as she looked to me. "When I hired you to watch my son, I didn't mean you could let others teach him bad habits." With those harsh words, she stormed off.

Before they got too far, Ben pulled away from her and rushed back to Dean, throwing his arms around him. "Thanks." He smiled up at Dean, and then he was off again, heading back to his mum.

It was a sweet moment, and the fact Dean might be his dad made it sweeter… but also a little painful.

Sighing, I got to my feet and stepped up to Dean, hoping to lighten the mood. "You just got me fired."

But instead of responding, he just frowned, looking at something over my shoulder. I turned to see what was wrong. That when I noticed three kids standing a few feet away, just watching us.

I shuddered, the looks in their eyes putting me on edge. " _Children of the Corn_ anyone?"

**SPOV**

The hotel room door opened as Dean and Lizzie walked in.

"Something's wrong with the kids in this town," Dean noted before he'd hardly taken a step inside.

"Yeah, tell me about it." I nodded. "So, what do you know about changelings?"

"Oh, my _God_. I'm so stupid," Lizzie groaned. "Changelings, of course. They're babies or children monsters. They have the ability to change themselves into the perfect image of another child, replace said child."

"Yep." I grabbed a picture showing a bird's eye view of the neighbourhood. "There's one at every victim's house," I noted, pointing to the marked houses. "And you know the mark on the windowsill today? There's one at every house."

"So the changeling grabs the kid, assumes it's form and joins the fam. Just for kicks?" Dean asked.

"Not quite." I shook my head and got up, moving to where I'd assembled some flame throwers. "Changelings feed on the mum. Synovial fluid. The mums have these odd bruises on the back of their necks."

"They can drain them for a few weeks, but the mum eventually dies," Lizzie added.

Dean moved over to sit on the bed. "Then there's dad, the babysitter-"

I cut him off, knowing where he was going, "Yeah, seems like anyone who gets between a changeling and its food source ends up dead."

Lizzie grabbed the flamethrower. "Fires the only way to kill them."

"Great," Dean sighed. "Now, we'll just bust in, drag the kids out, torch them on the front lawn. That'll play great with the neighbours." The sarcasm was so thick. "What about the real ones?" he asked, serious now. "What happens to them?"

"According to lore, they stash them underground somewhere," I answered. "I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there somewhere."

Dean shrugged. "Better start looking." He went to head for the door, but paused. "So... any kid in the neighbourhood's vulnerable?"

"Yep."

He pulled his keys out, moving to the door. "We gotta make a stop. I wanna check on someone."

"If the real-"

Lizzie stopped me from going on. "He wants to check on Ben. Just let him."

**DPOV**

I knocked on Lisa's door, a moment later, she answered, only this time there was no bright smile. "Dean, what are you-"

I cut her off. "Hey, I was thinking, uh, Ben's birthday, I didn't even bring him a present."

"That's okay."

"No, no. No, I feel terrible." Pulling out my wallet, I grabbed one of my credit cards. "So, here. Take a long weekend. Just the two of you. On me."

She took the card, though was clearly confused. "What?"

"Yeah. In fact, I hear Six Flags is great this time of the year. Go now, avoid the traffic." I gave her one of my more charming smile, hoping it would work.

But instead she looked down at the card and read the name written on it. "' _Siegfried Houdini_ '. Whose card is this?"

"Mine." When she didn't believe me, I shrugged. "Never mine. It'll work, I promise."

But she just handed it back. "You should leave."

"Lisa."

"Mummy?" Ben appeared behind her. "What's wrong?"

Lisa turned to him, but I was the one to answer him. "Nothing, Ben, it's cool."

He just ignored me, still looking to Lisa. "Make him go away, mummy."

My smile fell and my blood ran cold as I looked to the kid in front of me. Only it wasn't a kid and it wasn't Ben, not anymore. No, it was a changeling. I was too late.

_Son of a-_

"You heard him." Lisa shrugged as she stepped back. "Get out."

There was no way I was leaving her with that thing. "Lisa. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Get out!" she snapped, and then slammed the door in my face.

**EPOV**

I was sitting on Baby's hood when Dean ran back to the car. "They took Ben. He's changed."

My time with Ben and Lisa may have been short- just a few days, really- but I liked the kid, and his mum had been pretty nice too. They were a sweet family and they deserved better than this.

Sliding off the hood, I moved to my door. "Did you check-"

"The windowsill? Yeah. And I don't think it's blood," he told me, getting in the front seat with Sam. "I think I know where the kids are."

...

Dean stopped the car in front of a half-built house in the newest section of the neighbourhood that was still a working progress. We all got out and moved to a pile of dirt by the road, the colour familiar.

"Red dirt." Sam shook his head. "That's what was on the window."

Dena got straight to business. "Sam, you take the front. Liz and I'll go around."

I handed Sam one of the bags I'd pulled from the back seat. "Our main priority is the kids. You find them, you free them."

"Got it." Sam nodded to me before he headed to the building.

Dean and I walked off in silence, both of us keeping an eye out as we moved to the back of the house. Once we found the back door, we entered slowly and carefully, trying to keep as quiet as possible as we walked further in.

We hadn't gotten too far before we found the kids. They were locked up in cages.

**SPOV**

"What do you think you're doing?"

I turned, startled. But it was only the realtor. Or so I thought. Catching a glimpse of her reflection in some glass, it showed me who she really was. Or _what_ she really was. An adult changeling.

"This is private property. I'm calling the police," it threatened. "You heard me. Get out!"

I lifted my hands up in defence. "Just let me get my bag." I nodded to where it sat by my feet. "I'm going. I don't mean to cause any trouble." Bending down, I pretend to grab my bag, but instead I grabbed the flamethrower.

With it in my hands I turned and flicked on my lighter, sending flames in her direction. But as they died, I found she was already gone

**DPOV**

"Ben?" I hurried over to the cages, keeping my voice low as the kid looked up at Liz and I. "Ben, it's okay. We're gonna get you out of here, okay?"

"Move out of the way." Liz grabbed my shoulder and pulled me behind her. Lifting her hands, she looked to each of the locks and concentrated before she used her mind to break and pull them away from the cages, freeing the kids.

I stepped up to Ben, helping him out. "Come on."

"How'd you do that?" he asked, looking up at Liz.

She shook her head, moving to help the other kids. "No time to explain. We gotta get you kids out of here."

Once Ben was on his feet I helped Liz with the other kids, getting them all out of the cages. While we did that, Ben comforted the ones already standing. I came to the last cage, finding a woman in there instead of a child. It was the realtor, one of the mums from Ben's birthday, the red head.

With everyone free, Liz stepped up to the closest window, which was small, and a bit too high.

Ignoring those facts, she lifted her hands and looked down at the kids. "Everybody back. Cover your eyes!" As soon as they all looked away, she flicked her wrist, smashing the glass.

"Here. Use this." Ben offered her his jacket.

"Thanks." She took it and laid it out so the kids could crawl through the window without getting cut.

I stepped up to help her. "All right, come on." I gestured to the kids. One by one they walked up to me. I lifted them up to the window so they could climb out, while Liz kept a look out just in case.

"Dean! Lizzie!" Sam yelled, running into the room. "Guys, there's a mother."

That was news to me. "A mother changeling?"

"Yeah, we gotta get these kids out. Quick." Sam moved to help me.

"I guess that's why the changeling's keeping the kids alive, so the mum can snack on them," I noted.

"No!" Liz yelled before something heavy flew across the room, to the other side.

I looked over, seeing the realtor, only this one was the changeling one, seeing as Sam was helping the real one stand- she was pretty out of it.

"Sam, get the kids out of here," I told him, moving away from the window. "Liz and I will deal with the mum."

Liz and I hurried over to the changeling mum just as she got to her feet. I reached for her, but she was stronger than I thought, and with a quick turn and a hard punch, she sent me stumbling back.

"You're messing with the wrong hunters, bitch," Liz sneered at the thing, lifting her hand. The changeling struggled against the invisible hold as Liz pushed her against the wall, holding her there. "Get the flamethrower! Now!"

"Dean!" Sam called.

I turned in time to catch the flamethrower. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my lighter, ready to torch this thing.

But she was strong, too strong for Liz. The invisible hold gave way, free the changeling. She lunged forward and grabbed Liz's throat, lifting her off the ground and in front of her, blocking my aim.

"Lizzie!" Sam yelled, hurrying over to help.

"Do it," Liz croaked, finding it hard to speak or even breath as the changeling squeezed the air out of her.

I hesitated. If I did it I would kill the changeling and save the kids. But if I did it I would also kill Liz, and I wouldn't- and couldn't- do that.

Dropping the flamethrower, I hurried over, punching the changeling. It stumbled back, letting go of Liz in the process. As Liz recovered, Sam and I circled the changeling, keeping it at bay. The three of us were thrown into a fight, two brothers against an evil monster.

Despite how strong the thing was, and how fast it was, Sam and I managed to keep it from doing too much damage, getting a few hits in as it hit us as well. But we worked together, giving Liz enough time to do what she had to.

As if right on cue, the changeling was pushed back by a hard an unseen force.

It stumbled to the ground as Liz stepped up to Sam and me, flamethrower in hand. The three of us stood there, watching as the changeling mother turned to us, seeing the flamethrower. In that instant, it knew this was the end.

Lifting the lighter, Liz didn't waste another second before torching the bitch.

**EPOV**

Ben had been constantly asking me questions the whole ride back to his place, as the two of us sat in the back of Baby. I sat there and answered them all, telling the whole truth. He'd seen enough for me not to lie. Besides, he was cool enough to be able to handle it all.

"So, you're like some kind of super hero?" He looked up at me, smiling widely and excitedly. "My babysitter's a super hero."

"I'm just a girl, Ben. There's honestly nothing special about me," I insisted.

He rolled his eyes. "Right, because having the power to move stuff with your mind is _totally_ normal."

Dean laughed from the front seat as he pulled up to Lisa's house.

The front door opened, Lisa rushing out. "Ben?"

"Come on." I opened the door and got out, the kid right behind me.

"Ben!" Lisa run up to him. "Baby, are you okay?" Bending down, she grabbed and lifted him into a tight hug.

"I'm okay, mum," he assured her.

"Oh, my God." She buried her face in his neck, sobbing.

Dean and I shared a look then. We'd talked about me explaining everything to her, but I had a feeling this was something he should do. I may have bene a babysitter for a few days, but Dean had shared something more with Lisa.

With a short nod from me, he turned to the mall family and walked over to them.

Lisa put Ben down as she looked to Dean. "What the hell just happened?"

"I'll explain everything it you want me to but trust me, you probably don't," he told her. "Important thing is, is that Ben's safe."

"Thank you." She wrapped her arms around Dean into a hug. "Thank you."

"We're gonna give you guys some time." Sam nodded, moving to the driver's side of the car. "Dean, just call us when you're ready."

Lisa and Ben turned for the house as Sam got in the car. Dean and I looked to each other again. There were mixed feelings coming from both of us. I had no idea what he was feeling, but there were a few things I knew for sure.

For starters, I had to stop this. I'd decided distance was the best thing for me, yet here I was again, doing another job with the Winchesters. It was about time I made my mind up and stuck to my decision.

I gave him a small smile. "Catch you around."

He didn't need me to say anything else to understand what I meant. By the time he'd be done with Lisa and Ben, I'd be long gone. So, without a word, he turned and headed into the house as I got into the car.

**DPOV**

"Changelings?" Lisa asked. I'd just explained everything to her, seeing as she'd wanted to know.

"You know how I never mentioned my job?" I shrugged. "This is my job."

"I so didn't want to know that." She sighed and turned to Ben as he sat at the dining table eating a sandwich. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine." It was the truth. He was so calm about it, like it was all normal, which had me wondering again... "Okay, seriously. I mean, you're a hundred percent sure that he is not mine? Right?"

She laughed, nodding. "You're off the hook. I did a blood test when he was a baby. There was this guy, some bar-back in a biker joint." When I gave her a look she laughed again. "What? I had a type. Leather jacket, couple of scars, no mailing address, I was there. Guess I was a little wild back then. Before I became a mum. So yeah. You can relax."

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about that news. Ben not being mine. On one hand, I was glad. I mean, I was going to die, and my life wasn't exactly kid friendly. But I'd enjoyed spending time with him, and some part of me had always wanted kids.

Looking over at the kid, I wondered what it would be like to be his dad. I could picture us fixing the car, going camping, goofing around. We were so a like, there'd be no boring moments. It would be nice. Having a family, a kid, it would be nice.

"I swear you look disappointed," she noted.

I hesitated as I turned to her, before giving a short shrug. "Yeah, I don't know. It's weird, you know. Your life, I mean, this house, the kid. It's not my life, never will be. Some stuff happened to me recently and... Anyway, a guy in my situation, you start to think, you know. I'm gonna be gone one day and what am I leaving behind besides a car?"

"I don't know. Ben may not be your kid but he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. That's a lot, if you ask me."

It wasn't much, but her words were enough to make me feel a little better.

Nodding, I turned to head to the door, ready to go. I took a few steps before stopping to turn back to her. "You know, just for the record, you got a great kid. I would have been proud to be his dad." I smiled at her.

She rushed forward and leaned onto her toes, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. Pulling back, she smiled up at me. "Look, if you wanna stick around for a while, you're welcome to stay."

As tempting as it was, I knew I couldn't. "I can't. I got a lot of work to do. And it's not my life." With another smile, I nodded before turning around and leaving.

**SPOV**

I'd been on the phone for a few hours, going through the list of my mum's old friends and family members, just like my new stalker that told me to. What I had found wasn't exactly good.

"They're dead." I stood in front of the woman as she sat on the table in the hotel room. "All of them. All of my mum's friends, her doctor, her uncle. Everyone who knew her systematically wiped off the map one at a time. Someone went through a hell of a lot of trouble trying to cover their tracks."

"Yep. Yellow-Eyed Demon."

"So, what's you deal? You show up wherever I am, you know all about me, you know all about my mum."

She grinned. "I already told you, I'm just-"

I cut her off, done with her games and bullshit. "Right. Right. Yeah, yeah. Just a hunter. Just some hunter who happens to know more about my own family than I do. Just tell me who you are."

"Sam, it-"

"Just..." I shrugged, wondering why it was so hard for her to understand. "Tell me who you are."

"It doesn't matter."

I stepped up to her, leaning down so I could look her in the eyes. "Just tell me who you are!"

"Fine." She closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were black.

I backed up, moving to my bag.

"Think twice before going for that holy water," she warned.

"Give me one reason," I told her, opening my bag still.

"I'm here to help you, Sam."

"Is that some kind of joke?"

She raised her right hand as if reciting an oath. "God's honest truth. Or whatever."

"You're a demon," I sneered, pulling out my flask of holy water.

"Don't be such a racist." She got off the table and stood. "I'm here because I wanna help you. And I can, _if_ you trust me."

"Trust you?" Lifting the flask, I held it between us.

"Sam, calm down."

"Start talking. All those murders, what was the Demon trying to cover up?"

"I don't know."

"What happened to my mother?

"I honestly don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out. All I knew is that it's about you."

I tensed. "What?"

She laughed. "Don't you get it, Sam? It's all about you. What happened to you mum, what happened to her friends. They're trying to cover up what he did to you." She shrugged. "I wanna help you figure it out."

"Why would _you_ wanna help _me_?"

"I have my reasons. Not all demons are the same, Sam. Not all of us want the same thing. Me? I wanna help you from time to time. That's all. And if you let me, there's something in it for you."

"What could you possibly-"

"I could help you save your brother."

**Bamby**


	5. No Luck

**DPOV**

"Because demon, that's why. Because the second you find out this Ruby chick is a demon you go for the holy water. Don't chat."

Sam had told me about the conversation he'd had with his mystery woman. Who was named Ruby, and happened to be a demon. I just didn't understand why he hadn't sent her ass straight back to hell, where it belonged.

"No one was chatting, Dean," he insisted.

"Oh, yeah, then why didn't you send her ass back to hell?"

"Because- Because she said she might be able to help us out."

"How?" When he didn't answer, I pressed, "No, really, Sam, how? How could she possibly help up?"

"She told me she could help you, okay? Help you out of the Crossroad's deal."

I could not believe what I was hearing. "What is wrong with you, huh? She's lying. You gotta know that, don't you? She knows what your weakness is. It's me." I shook my head. "What else did she say?" But he stayed silent. "Dude?"

"Nothing," he answered. As I looked over to him, un sure, he repeated himself, "Nothing, okay? Look, I'm not an idiot, Dean. I'm not talking about trusting her. I'm talking about _using_ her. I mean, we're at war, right? We don't know jack about the enemy. We don't know where they are, we don't know what they're doing. I mean, hell, we don't even know what they want. Now, this Ruby girl know more than we will _ever_ find out on our own. No, yes, it's a risk, I know that, but we need to take it."

I frowned, looking from the road to him and then back. "You're okay, right? I mean, you're feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" he snapped. "Why are you always asking me that?"

Before I could answer, I was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing.

Sam sighed and checked his pockets, pulling his phone out. "It's not mine."

I checked mine. "Nope. Check the compartment. It's dad's."

"Dad's?" he asked, as he did as I said.

"Yes. I keep it charged up in case any of his old contacts call."

Sighing again, he answered the phone, "Hello?" There was a pause before he spoke again, "Yes, this is Edgar Cayce." Another pause. "No, no, no. Don't call the police. I'll handle this myself. Thanks. You know, can you just, uh... Can you just lock it back up for me? Great. And, uh, I don't have my book in front of me." He nudged my arm and gestured for a pen.

I pulled one out of my pocket and handed it over so he could write whatever they were telling him.

"Do you have the address so I-" Another pause. "Sure. Okay. Go ahead." He wrote on a piece of paper, listening to them. "Right. Thanks a lot." He hung up and turned to me. "Dad ever tell you he kept a container at a storage place?"

"What?" That was news to me.

"Outside of Buffalo?"

"No way."

"Yeah. And someone just broke into it."

...

Standing in the warehouse elevator with Sam, I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh light to myself, amused. "Man."

"What?"

I looked up to see Sam looking at me with question in his eyes. I shrugged. "Just dad. You know, him and his secrets. Spend all this time with the guy, and it's like we barely even know the man."

"Well," he sighed as the elevator came to a stop on the underground floor, "we're about to learn something."

We both reached over to pull the door up before stepping out and heading over to dad's storage unit. After picking and removing the lock I pulled the door open, revealing the large space where dad had kept things that must have been important to him.

Sam lifted his torch, standing in the doorway, looking in as I did the same. The lights of our torches fell to the ground where a devil's trap had been painted.

"No demons allowed," Sam commented.

But there was more than just the trap on the ground. "Blood." I gestured to the red, drying liquid on the floor, and the foot prints that walked into the room. Crouching down, I noticed a trip wire. "Check this out." Following the wire with our lights, we found a shot gun hidden in the jaw of a boar's skull.

Sam scoffed. "Whoever broke in here got tagged."

"Dear old dad." I found my grin returning as I got to my feet. "I got two sets of boot treads here. Looks like it was a two-man job. And our friend with the buckshot in him, looks like he kept walking."

"So, what's the deal?" Sam asked as we began to follow the footprints. "Dad would do work here or something?"

"Living the high life, as usual."

Truth be told, I had no idea. I hadn't even known this place existed. Dad had more secrets than anyone I knew. I'd spent years with him on the road, hunted by his side, and I could bet real money that I still didn't know half of who he was.

The light of my torch caught something shinny. I walked over to it, finding a small, dusty, trophy. Lifting it and wiping away the dust, I read the date on it. "1995."

Sam turned to me, seeing the trophy in my hand. "No way." He moved to grab it from me. "That's my division championship soccer trophy. I can't believe he kept this."

"Yeah. It's probably the closest you ever came to being a boy." I grinned, walking away to follow the footsteps again. That was until I found something else. "Oh, wow." I picked up the handmade shotgun. "It's my first sawed-off. I made it myself. Sixth grade."

Seeing Sam ignore me and wandered off, I put the gun down and followed, the two of us coming up to a cage door. Inside, we found an array of guns and weapons, including bombs.

"Holy crap." I stepped up to the small armoury. "Look at this, he had land mines. Which they didn't take. Or the guns." I noted, wondering who someone had broken in, why, and what did they take. "I guess they knew what they were after, huh?"

"Hey, Dean, check this out." Sam stood behind me, looking at a shelf on the other side of the cage, turning, I moved to take a look as well. "See these symbols?" He gestured to the assortment of boxes. "That's binding magic. These are curse boxes."

"Curse boxes. Supposed to keep the evil mojo in, right? Kinda like the Pandora deal."

"Yeah, yeah. They're built to contain the power of the cursed object."

"Dad's journal did mention a whole bunch of stuff, you know. Dangerous hexed items, fetishes. He never did say where they ended up."

"Yeah, well, this must be his toxic-waste dump." Sam didn't sound too approving. But before I could question him, he noticed a spot on the shelf. An empty spot. "One box is missing. Great."

"Well, maybe they didn't open it." I shrugged, hoping they hadn't opened it.

**SPOV**

Dean and I had figured out where the people who had robbed dad were. It was easy, really. They hadn't blacked out their plates when they were parked at the storage unit, so all we did was look up the number plate, found the address it was registered to and that was that.

Once we got to the apartment building- that looked like it was about ready to fall apart- we made our way to the right floor, found the number we were looking for, and picked the lock before sneaking, guns in our hands.

We could hear the sound of two men talking in the living room. So, moving carefully, we made our way towards them.

"Freeze!" Dean moved out from around the corner, aiming at the men. I was right behind him as he continued to yell. "Freeze! Nobody move! Don't move!"

"What is this?" one of them asked while the other went to make a run for it.

I aimed my gun at the runner. "Stop!"

Dean moved to the other guy. "All right, give us the box. And please tell me that you didn't-"

Before he could finish, I spotted the box on the table, open. "Oh, they did." _Great_.

"You opened it?!" Dean grabbed the guy in front of him, that happened to be the one that had been shot, pushing him against the wall.

The guy grunted at the impact before looking to each of us. "Are you guys cops, huh? Are you guys cops?"

Dean ignored his question, asking his own, sounding more pissed than the other guy. "What was in the box?" There was a pause before he spoke again. "Oh, is that it, huh? It was, wasn't it?"

I looked over to the coffee table, seeing a few cards, a couple glasses, beer bottles, a rabbit's foot and a small dying plant.

Dean frowned at the table, seeming to know which one of the things was the cursed object. "What is that thing?"

Instead of answering the guy knocked the gun out of Dean's hand. As it landed on the ground a shot went off, the bullet ricocheting before hitting and knocking my gun out of my hand. It moved around the room, hitting the fan and then breaking a lamp by Dean before getting stuck in the wall.

_What the hell..._

The four of us got into it then, Dean and the injured guy fighting while I jumped the other. Only, despite all our experience, the fight seemed to be match. Actually, it seemed the bad guys had the upper hand.

I was knocked into Dean, who was knocked into the coffee table, which broke at the impact.

Looking to my brother, I went to offer him a hand. "Sorry."

But then someone threw themselves at me, getting me to the ground. It was the uninjured guy. He was on top of my, punching my face over and over before he wrapped his hand around my throat, choking me.

While struggling I spotted the rabbits foot on the floor, just out of reach. Taking a chance, I stretched my arm out, trying to grab it as the guy continued to choke me.

A moment later, I felt the chain of the good luck charm and dragged it closer with the tip of my finger before grasping the rabbits foot in my palm.

Lifting my arms, I knocked the guy away from me, taking a deep breath as I brought my foot up and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the room.

Getting to my feet I looked over to see my brother on the ground. "Dean." The injured guy turned to me. "I got it," I assured my brother right before a gun was aimed at my chest.

"No, you don't." The injured guy shrugged. But as he pulled the trigger, nothing happened. The gun was jammed. It was Dean's gun, and it was jammed. "Damn!" The guy tried to fix it, backing up from me.

He tripped on the broken pieces of the coffee table and fell, knocking himself out somehow.

Seeing his friend knocked out cold, the other guy lifted my gun- which had landed by where I'd thrown him- and went to shoot us. But as he pulled himself up he gripped onto the shelf above him which broke, all its contents falling on top of him, knocking him unconscious as well and sending my gun flying towards me.

I caught it effortlessly.

Dean and I shared a look both shocked, confused and a little scared.

He was the first to speak. "That was a lucky break." Looking down at my hand by my side, he frowned. "Is that a rabbit's foot?"

...

"Now, look, Bobby, we didn't know."

" _You touched it? Damn it, Sam._ "

"Well, dad never told us about this thing." I had a good point. How were we supposed to know? "I mean, you knew about his storage place in Black Rock?"

" _His lockup? Yeah, I knew. Hell, I built those curse boxes for him. Listen, you have got a serious problem._ "

I was listening, but my attention was caught by something shinny on the ground in the parking lot. Lifting a newspaper, I found a golden watch underneath.

" _That rabbit's foot ain't no dime-store notion. It's real Hoodoo. Old world stuff._ "

I grabbed the watch and turned to show Dean as he stood by the hood on the Impala, scratching scratchies I'd touched- which all seemed to be winners.

 _Awesome_ , he mouthed, grinning.

" _Made by a Baton Rouge conjure woman about a hundred years ago._ "

"It's a hell of a luck charm."

" _It's not a luck charm. It's a curse. She made it to kill people, Sam. See, you touch it, you own it. You own it, sure, you get a run of good luck to beat the devil. But you lose it, that luck turns. It turns so bad that you're dead inside a week._ "

"So I won't lose it, Bobby."

" _Everybody loses it!_ " he exclaimed.

"Well, then how do we break the curse?" I asked, stashing the rabbit's foot in my left pocket.

He sighed. " _I don't know if you can. Let me look through my library and make some calls. Just sit tight. I'll... I'll call Lizzie, she's not too far from you boys, should be there within the hour. She's dealt with cursed objects before. She can help._ "

I didn't think we needed the extra help in this case, but there was no way I was going to tell Bobby _not_ to call her. Lizzie and I were friends. I had a feeling I knew why she was off on her own, but that didn't mean I liked it. I missed her. So any chance to have her around, I was taking it.

"Okay, thanks Bobby." I nodded, before hanging up the phone.

"Dude, we're up fifteen grand," Dean called once the phone was away from my ear.

I tried to share his enthusiasm, but Bobby's words were playing on my mind. If I lost this rabbit's foot, then I'd die. As much as I believe I could keep it safe, I was beginning to feel a little worried and paranoid.

**EPOV**

"A cursed object?" I groaned, heading for the guys. I was about twenty minutes away from them seeing as I'd been on the road when Bobby called. "A cursed rabbit's foot, and Sam touched it?"

" _He didn't know any better._ "

"I get it, I do, Bobby. But the boxes we keep things like that in... I haven't made one in a while," I noted, not feeling too confident. "What makes you think that'll stop the Hoodoo working on Sam once we get it locked up?"

" _That's the thing, we can't lock it up. Not until we know Sam's safe._ "

I wasn't too sure what that meant for me... "Then why am I going to meet them?"

" _Because you've dealt with stuff like this, you know how to keep someone alive, and because I told you so._ "

A smile crept on to my face. Bobby may not be my real father, but I hadn't had one growing up seeing my mum never dated. So when Bobby took me in at the age of fifteen and taught me how to be a hunter, he'd pretty much become my father.

Moments like this, where he used his dad voice on me- despite my age and our situation. It made me feel good. It made me feel loved. It reminded me that there were people out there that cared for me, and I cared for them. So, naturally, I couldn't say no.

"Okay, look, I'll meet them, check out the situation, and do my best. But this is weak, Bobby. I know you don't like me being on my own, but you can do better than sending me off on a babysitting job."

" _Just do as you're told, Elizabeth,_ " he told me, trying to sound serious, but I could hear his smile. " _Call me if there's any problems._ "

**DPOV**

"Don't worry. Bobby will find a way to break it," I assured Sam as we walked into a fast-food restaurant. "Unit then, I say we hit Vegas, pull a _Rain Man_. You can be Rain Man."

But Sam had other ideas. "Look, we lay low until Bobby calls back, okay?" he told me as we stopped at the counter, turning to the man waiting to direct us to a table. "Hi," Sam offered him a polite smile, "uh, table for two, please?"

"Congratulation!" The man beamed at us as he rang a bell that had other employees rush over and hand us a giant cheque. "You are the one millionth guest of the _Biggerson's Restaurant_ family! Congratulation!"

Looking down at the giant cheque that Sam and I held, I couldn't help but smile widely as I read what we'd one. Free food, for one whole year.

To add to the excitement, streamers and balloons fell from the ceiling as people applauded and cheered us before the staff began to sing a song.

_This has got to be one of the best days, ever!_

...

"Bobby's right. This lore goes way back," Sam noted as he read from his computer as I sat across from him enjoying my sundae. "Pure Hoodoo. You can't just cut one off any rabbit. It was to be in a cemetery, under a full moon, on a Friday the thirteenth.

Finishing the ice-cream, I put the bowl back onto the table. "I say from now on we only go to places with _Biggerson's_ ," I told him before I was hit with a brain freeze that had me groan.

Sam laughed at me, and my pain.

"Can I freshen you up?"

We both looked up to see a waitress carrying a pot of coffee, standing by Sam. She was attractive, dark bob, pretty smile, shinning blue eyes. Suddenly, my brain freeze was gone.

Sam nodded at her, offering his mug. "Yeah. Yeah, sure."

Reaching over she poured some coffee into the cup but seemed to be distracted as she smiled at Sam, causing some of the coffee to spill. "Oh! Let me wipe that up," she offered, pulling a cloth from her apron.

"Uh, no worries. That's okay," Sam insisted, but she didn't listen as she wiped the table.

"It's no trouble, really." She continued to smile at him, leaning a little closer than necessary. "Sorry about that."

"It's all right." Sam looked a little confused and uncomfortable.

While I couldn't stop looking at the waitress. Once she was done, giving Sam one last look, we both watched her walk away, seeing her turn around once.

"Dude, if you were ever gonna get lucky," that's all I needed to say in order to put my point across.

"Shut up."

I shrugged, reaching for my own coffee a moment before Sam reached for his. But as he grabbed his mug he lost his grip, causing the hot liquid to spill onto him.

"Oh! Oh, jeez. Ah!" He quickly got up to clean himself, but as he did he bumped into a waiter, causing the tray they'd been holding to spill all over the place as the waiter fell to the ground.

I looked from Sam, to the waiter and then back to my brother, I didn't feel too confident about the situation. "How is that good?"

Sam gave his jacket a pat down, his face growing more and more worried by the second. When he reached into his pocket, coming up empty, I knew what that meant. The waitress had taken the rabbit's foot.

"Son of a bitch." Getting out of our booth, I hurried after the waitress, Sam right behind me. We ran out into the parking lot, but she was nowhere in sight. "Come on." I gestured to Baby, hurrying towards her.

"Whoa!"

Turning, I found Sam on the ground. "Wow, you suck." Moving to help him back to his feet, I noticed he'd ripped his jeans and scrapped his knees. "So, what, now your luck turns bad?"

"Do not tell me you lost the foot."

We both turned to see Liz walking up to us, her attention on Sam, concern and fear in her eyes.

I frowned at her, confused and surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Bobby sent her," Sam answered, dusting himself off.

I turned to him, not too impressed. "And you just forgot to mention that?"

"Can we bicker later?" Liz sighed, stopping in front of us. "If you lost the foot, we need to find who took it, and fast, or else Sam won't be around for much longer."

**EPOV**

Sam, Dean and I walked into an apartment, moving through until we came to the living room where a balding, middle aged man sat on a dining chair with a photo in hand, bottle of some kind of alcohol in the other and a sad look on his face.

One look at Dean and Sam, and the guy was clearly not pleased to see the brothers. "Oh, man. What do you want?"

"Heard about your friend," Dean started. "That's bad luck."

"Piss off," was the guy's only response.

Ignoring him, Dean moved to stand in the middle of the room in front of the guy. "We know someone hired you to steal the rabbit's foot. A woman."

"Oh, yeah? How do you know that?"

"Because she just stole it back from us," Dean admitted, clearly embarrassed by that fact.

The man chuckled at first, before he really laughed, his face turning red.

Taking charge, Sam stepped forward. "Listen, man, this is serio-" He was cut short as he fell to the ground, tripping on a wire or something.

Dean didn't turn to look at his brother, but he was still a little concerned. "Sam, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," the younger Winchester replied.

Sighing, I moved to offer Sam a hand, lifting him to his feet as I spoke to the man on the chair. "Look, asshole, we don't have time for this. The rabbit's foot was cursed. It's why your friend died. Sam here, he's next. So just tell us the woman's name before I break your kneecaps," I warned.

As the man opened his mouth to speak, Dean beat him to it, "And before you say she's crazy, think about what you saw, what the rabbit's foot did. All the flukes, all the luck. When you lose the foot, that luck goes sour. That's what killed your friend. My brother is next. And who knows how many more innocent people after that. Now if you don't help us stop this thing, that puts those deaths on your head."

Looking at the man it was clear that fact alone terrified him. His eyes were wide as he realised what he and his friend had done when they released the cursed foot.

"Now, I can read people." Dean went on, "And I get it. You're a thief and a scumbag. That's fine. But you're not a killer. Are you?"

Looking away, the man slowly shook his head as he gave us what we wanted. "Lugosi. She said her name is Lugosi."

An annoyed groan escaped my lips. "Oh, crap."

**Bamby**


	6. Bela Lugosi

**EPOV**

Walking out of the apartment, I rang Bobby on my cell phone. The moment he answered I put him on loud speaker so Dean and Sam could join the conversation.

" _Lizzie, you with the boys?_ "

"Yeah," I sighed. "And we got bad news, Bobby."

" _Don't tell me they lost the foot._ "

I looked over at Dean, almost as disappointed as Bobby. "They lost the foot."

"Hey." Dean snatched the phone from me, getting defensive. "A chick stole it from us. And she was sharp. Good enough with the con to play us. She only gave the guy she hired a name, probably an alias. Luigi or something."

"Lugosi," Sam and I corrected him at the same time.

I looked over to see Sam by a street drain, trying to wipe some gum off his shoe. Confident that he was okay, I turned back to the phone. "Bobby please don't say it. I know what you're gonna say. Just… please don't."

Dean looked to me, confused. "What is it?"

" _It's not a what. It's a who. Bela._ "

Dean grinned but was clearly unamused. Actually, he was pretty annoyed, and with the situation we were in, I didn't blame him. "Bela Lugosi? That's cute."

" _No. Bela Talbot's her real name_."

I groaned, leaning my forehead on Dean's arm without thinking. "I told you not to say it."

Dean looked down at me. "You know this chick or something?"

_Or something..._

" _We've crossed paths with her once or twice,_ " Bobby explained for me.

"She knew about the rabbit's foot. Is she a hunter?" Dean asked, needing all the information he could get on her to make the job of finding her easier.

I scoffed, lifting my head off of Dean's arm. "No."

" _She's pretty frigging far from a hunter. But she knows her way around the territory. She's been out of the country. Last I heard she was in the Middle East some place._ "

"I guess she's back."

"You think?" I rolled my eyes at Dean. Bela easily got on my nerves.

" _Which means seriously bad luck for you._ "

Dean shook his head, not liking the sound of that. "Great."

" _But if it is Bela at least I might know some folks who know where to find her,_ " Bobby offered.

"Thanks, Bobby." A small smile appeared on Dean's face for a moment. "Again."

" _Just look out for your brother, you idjit_ ," Bobby told him before hanging up.

Both Dean and I turned to Sam then, seeing him standing a few feet from us by the drain, a sad look on his face.

"What?" Dean asked.

Sam pouted. "I lost my shoe," he answered, curling his sock covered toes.

Shaking my head, grinning slightly, I stepped forward to offer Sam my hand. "Come on, big guy. Let's get you in the car and find a safe place for you to stay until we get this crap dealt with."

He didn't even hesitate, taking my hand and letting me lead him to the car. Though I did notice how Dean looked to our hands for a moment before he turned to Baby as well.

**SPOV**

"All right, Bobby, thanks. Hey, we owe you another one," Dean spoke into the phone as he pulled up to a hotel. Hanging up he turned to me. "All right, Bobby's got it on pretty good authority that this Bela chick lives in Queens. So it'll take Liz and I about two hours to get there."

"Wait. What?" Lizzie's head appeared between us, not looking happy at Dean's suggestion. "You think I'm going with you? To see _her_?" The way she said her was as if the mere thought of this Bela chick annoyed her.

Dean simply shrugged. "You've dealt with her before. I'm hoping you'll be able to help."

"He's right." I nodded. "She'll trust you more than Dean."

"Doubt that," Lizzie mumbled as she moved back to her seat. "But, fine."

"Great." Dean gave a sharp nod.

"So, what are we doing here?" I asked, looking at the hotel.

"You, my brother, are staying here because I don't want your bad luck getting us killed," Dean answered honestly.

...

As we walked into the hotel room I couldn't help but let out a short and frustrated sigh. "What am I even supposed to do, Dean?"

"Nothing. Nothing." He grabbed my arm, leading me to a chair. "Come here." He placed me on the chair. "I don't want you doing anything. I want you to sit right here and don't move, okay? Don't turn on the light. Don't turn off the light. Don't even scratch your nose," he told me, backing up to the door.

I felt my nose twitch as it began to itch. _Great..._

Lizzie chuckled, stepping closer to me. "Here." She gave my nose a little scratch. "Don't worry, we'll fix this." Her smile was kind and caring as she looked down at me.

Seeing her taking care of me like this, and worrying so much, it was nice. I knew she wanted to be on her own right now, that she needed some space, but once again she was stuck dealing with another drama with Dean and me. The fact she came right away, for us, it made me realise how much she cared about us, just like we cared about her. She was a pretty great person.

"Come on, Liz, we don't have all day," Dean called from the door.

Sighing, she stepped back, giving me once last look before she and Dean left the room, closing the door behind them. I was alone, and my nose was itchy again...

**EPOV**

"Look, I need you to do me a favour."

Dean looked over to me as we walked down the hall, heading for Bela's apartment. "What?"

"If Bela says anything about me, can you not say anything?" I sighed, really hating the position I was in. "At least not in front of her. Okay?"

He nodded, not waiting a moment before answering. "Okay."

I gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."

Reaching her apartment, we both knew knocking wasn't going to work. So Dean pulled out a pen and paper and wrote a note as I got to my knees and began to pick the lock. Once the door we had a few seconds before the alarm began to beep a warning.

Dean ducked inside as I waited out in the hall, listening for the right moment to make a move.

I didn't have to wait long before I heard him speak to Bela.

"You left without your tip."

With that, I step into the apartment, pressing the barrel of my gun to the back of Bela's head as she aimed at Dean and he aimed at her.

"This is highly unfair." I could practically hear the smirk on her face as she spoke, her British accent thick.

**SPOV**

I was sitting on my chair, bored. It had been a couple of hours since Lizzie and Dean were gone. But I'd done as I was told and hadn't moved.

A noise caught my attention as the air conditioner began to make a whirring and clunking noise. I turned to look at it, frowning with concern and confusion, right before smoke began to come out of its vents.

"Oh, come on," I groaned. "I didn't... I wasn't..."

Even though I knew I probably shouldn't, I also felt like I didn't have a choice. So I carefully got up and moved to the air conditioner. As I got closer I heard another noise and then saw flames inside the vents.

Acting quickly, I grabbed a blanket from the bed and moved to cover the vents in order to smother the fire. After a patting it down a few times the flames died.

Letting out a breath of relief, I got to my feet, dropping the blanket on the floor. But as I lifted my arm I found my jacket sleeve alight.

"Ahh!" Grabbing the curtain, I tried patting down the flames to get rid of them. Which I did. But in the process, I managed to trip, rip the curtains off their hooks, and knock myself out.

**EPOV**

Dean backed up, letting Bela walk out of the hall as I stayed behind her, all our guns still raised.

"You're gonna give it back," Dean told her matter-of-factly, using his badass tone as he gave her a cocky grin.

She laughed lightly. "Sweetie. No, I'm not."

He shrugged as he slowly turned. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

Bela turned too as I moved to stand closer to Dean. That's when she realised it was me who'd been behind her. "Elizabeth?" Her smirk turned to a smile. "It's been awhile. How many years?"

"A few," I answered, voice flat, trying not to react to her.

"I see you've teamed up with the Winchesters." Her eyes flicked towards Dean for a moment. "Tell me, Dean, has Elizabeth told you that we know each other."

"She may have mentioned it." He shrugged, trying to play it cool.

But Bela knew in an instant that he may know somethings but he didn't know it all. Of course, she was willing to educate. "We met through Bobby Singer. Both of us young, finding our way in the world. Trying new things." She grinned again, her eyes looking me up and down.

Dean continued with the cool act, but the way he tensed his jaw, I knew he wanted to ask... luckily, he didn't. Instead he got back to business. "You know the foots cursed, don't you?"

"You'd be surprised what some people would pay for something that."

"Really?" Dean sound shocked, but not for the reasons Bela thought.

"There's a lucrative market out there," she explained. "A lot of money to be made." She chuckled. "You hunters with all those amulets and talismans you use to stop those big, bad monsters. Any one of them could put your children's children through college."

I shook my head, understanding why Dean clearly didn't like what she was doing. "That's not what he doesn't get. He doesn't understand how you can know all about this stuff and instead of fighting, you make money off it all."

She gave a short, unconcerned shrug. "I procure unique items for a select clientele."

"So, you're a thief," Dean noted.

"No." She grinned. "A _great_ thief."

**SPOV**

I woke up as someone behind me continued to duct-tape me to my chair. I tried to struggle in an instant, but there was no point. I was well and truly stuck.

A man with dark hair stepped around me. "Oh, he's awake."

The other man who had blonde hair and had been sitting on the bed, stood up. "Back with us, hey?"

"We didn't even have to touch you. You just went all spastic and knocked yourself out," Dark-hair laughed lightly. "It was like watching Jerry Lewis ride a stacked chair."

I frowned at both of them, having no idea what was going on. "Who are you? What do you wa-"

Blonde-hair snapped his fingers, shutting me up. "I used to think you friend Gordon sent me."

"Gordon?" I groaned. "Oh, come on." Now if I was going to be hit with some bad luck, of course it would bring him back.

Blonde ignored me, going on. "Yeah. Because he asked me to track you don and put a bullet in your brain."

My head fell back in defeat. What else could I do at this point? I just hoped Lizzie and Dean would be back soon. "Great. That sounds like him."

"But as it turned out, I'm on a mission from God." Raising his hand, Blonde back handed me, knocking me out again.

**EPOV**

I sighed, needing to get this over and done with. "Look, Bela, Dean's brother touched the foot and when you took it his luck went from-"

She cut me off, "I know how it works."

"So, then you know he's gonna die unless we can destroy it," Dean noted.

Her face fell. "Oh..." She thought about it for a moment before grinning. "You can have the foot. For one point five million."

Dean did not like her response, despite the fact he was giving her a slight smile. "Nice. Yeah. I'll just call my banker." He shook his head. "How did you even find the damn thing? Stuck in the back of some storage place, middle of nowhere."

I gestured over her shoulder to a spirit board. "Bela's always had a thing with talking to the dead."

"Oh, please. You act as if there's something wrong with that." She rolled her eyes at me before speaking to Dean. "I just asked a few of the ghosts of the people it had killed. They were very attuned into its location."

Dean shook his head at her again, thinking the same thing I had for years. How could someone do the things she does when they know all about the world and what goes on in it. "So you're only out for yourself, huh? It's all about number one?"

"Being a hunter is so much more noble?" She focused her attention on me then. "Bunch of obsessed, revenge-driven sociopaths trying to save a world that can't be saved?"

"Well, aren't you a glass half full?"

She scoffed at Dean. "We're all going to hell, Dean. Might as well enjoy the ride."

"I actually agree with you there." He grinned. "Any-who, this has been charming but, uh, look at the time." He started backing up to the door. "Oh, and this?" Moving his 'free' hand into view, he showed us that he had managed to grab the rabbit's foot. "Looks like you're not the only one with sticky fingers. If it's any consolation, I think you're a truly awful person."

Bela raised her gun and pulled the trigger, shooting at him.

But the bullets all missed. Dean moved and dodged them, the luck of the cursed rabbit's foot already working. Seeing that she couldn't hit him, Bela turned to aim at me.

I raised my hand and flung the gun out of her grasp, sending it flying across the room.

"Liz, let's go!" Dean grabbed my arm and raced out the door. "See you!"

...

Dean and I were racing back to Sam. The faster we got back to him the better off he'd be. But I could feel a tension in the air, and it wasn't because of Sam. No, this was because of something else.

I was the one to break the silence. "Just say whatever you're thinking."

He didn't hesitate a second. Now that he had permission to speak, he was letting it out. "Did you and Bela sleep together?"

"Yes." The answer was simple and honest.

He looked taken back, as if he didn't think I'd admit it, or maybe he thought his suspicions were false. "But you're straight. I know you are. We've slept together. A lot."

Giving a shrug, I kept facing forward, not really waiting to see the look I was bound to get as I spoke my next words. "Yes, we have. But no, I'm not straight."

"What do you mean you're not straight?" He actually sounded offended, as if all those times we'd spent together were lies.

"There's more than just straight and gay, Dean."

"So what, you're...?" He left the sentence hanging, unsure how to finish.

I shrugged again. "I'm just not fussy." Looking over at him now, I could see the confused look on his face as he focused on the road. "Bela and I were younger. Bobby and I were on a case and bumped into her. It was a point in both our lives where we weren't too sure who we were. So, we hung out… and one thing led to another."

"You had sex," he noted simply.

I couldn't help but grin a little, seeing how easy he could talk about sex but not about who I had it with. "Yes. We had sex."

"Then what happened? I mean, it's not like you dated or anything, right?"

"I've never dated anyone, Dean. I've slept with people. That's it. I have never been on a date, or been exclusive with one individual."

He looked to me for a moment, shocked. "Never?"

"Ever." I shook my head.

"Not even when you were a teenager? Before you hunted?"

"Do you understand the meaning of never?"

Rolling his eyes, he turned the conversation back around. "So, you and Bela slept together, but you didn't date, and you're not straight, but you're not gay?"

"Exactly."

"But I've never seen you with a chick."

"I may not be fussy, but I do have my preferences. And you don't always see who I take to my room," I countered.

Shaking his head, he didn't comment or argue, instead he moved the conversation on. "I think you have a type."

"Oh yeah? And what type would that be?"

"You sleep with assholes."

"I slept with you."

"Yeah, but unlike Bela, Gordon and anyone else, I'm a good guy and I actually treat you how you want to be treated. How you _should_ be treated" He didn't look at me as he spoke matter-of-factly.

There was nothing I had to say. I couldn't come up with a comment, or an argument. In fact, he'd left me speechless.

Dean had been _the_ best lay I'd ever had, and it wasn't just because he'd been good in bed. No, there'd been more than that. Dean had always been good to me, had always listened, had always been there for me. I could have easily fallen for him. He is Dean Winchester after all.

But, now? What's the point? He'd be dead in less than a year.

**SPOV**

Water was splashed onto my face, waking me up. Kubrick- the blonde- had been asking me questions I didn't know the answers to, so every time I didn't answer he hit me. This had been going on for some time now.

"You were part of that demon plan to open the gate," he noted, sitting on the bed next to my chair.

"We did everything we could to stop it."

He stood up, pointing a finger at my face. "Lie, lie, lie. You were in on it. You know what their next move is to, don't you?"

"No, I don't, okay? You're wrong about all of this."

But he just wouldn't listen to me. "Where are they gonna hit us next?" I let out a frustrated sigh which had him back hand me again. "Where?" But I still refused to speak. "Gordon told me about you, Sam. About your powers. You're some kind of weirdo, psychic freak."

"No, not anymore. I have no powers, no visions. Nothing it's just-"

"Lie!" He hit me again. "Now, no more lies. There's an army of demons out there, pushing at a world already on the brink. We're on deck for the end game here, right? So maybe, just maybe, you can understand," he pulled back and grabbed a gun from the back of his pants, "why we can't take chances." He aimed the gun at my head.

I instantly leaned back, my eyes focused on the barrel. "Whoa, okay! Okay, hold on a minute."

"Kubrick," the dark hair guy spoke up, unsure.

But Kubrick stopped him before he could go on. "No. You saw what happened, Creedy. Ask yourself, why are we here? Because you saw a picture on the web? Because we chose _this_ motel instead of another? Luck like that doesn't just happen."

"Look, I can explain all of that if-"

Kubrick cut me off, "Shut up." I let out another sigh as he continued to talk, "It's God, Creedy. He led us here for one reason. To do his work. This is destiny." Turning again, he aimed at my head once more.

"Whoa!" I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut, waiting for the bullet.

A gun cocked before someone new spoke. "Nope. No destiny. Just a rabbit's foot."

We all looked over to see Dean and Lizzie in the room, aiming their guns at the men. I can honestly say, I'd never been happier to see my brother and friend.

"Put the gun down-"

Before Kubrick could finish, Lizzie cocked her gun. "Shut up, Kubrick."

"Elizabeth?" Creedy sounded surprised.

"Is there anyone you don't know?" Dean mumbled to her.

Ignoring him, she focused on the two men in front of me. "I _will_ pull this trigger. Put. The. Gun. Down."

Kubrick grinned, calling her bluff. "Why don't you put yours down? Or you'll be scraping brain of the wall."

"Oh, this thing?" Dean gestured to his own gun.

"Yeah, that thing." Kubrick nodded.

"Okay." Dean shrugged, putting his gun on the small table next to him. "But you see, there's something about me that you don't know." He grabbed a pen off the same table.

Kubrick turned the gun to my brother. "Yeah, what would that be?"

"It's my lucky day." Dean grinned. He threw the pen and it slid into the barrel of Kubrick's gun. "Ha! Oh, my God. Did you see that shot?"

Creedy made a move for Dean but Lizzie was faster, grabbing the man's shirt with one hand as she hit him over the head with the butt of her gun with the other hand. The force was hard enough to knock him out, sending him to the ground.

Kubrick was trying to get the pen out of his gun, but was clearly struggling. Dean used these moment to grab the remote off the table before he threw it at Kubrick, hitting him in the forehead, knocking him out as well.

Dean, smiling widely, turned to me. "I'm Batman."

I shook my head as him. "Yeah. You're Batman."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, pulled a knife out from the inside of her leather jacket. "Don't worry Sammy, I got you." Moving around to stand behind me, she cut the tape holding me in place.

Dean looked to each of the men and then to Lizzie. "So, you sleep with either of these douche bags?"

"No." There was a strain in Lizzie's voice, as if she were annoyed with Dean. More annoyed than usual. "Hunted with Creedy once. He's a sheep and annoying. Met Kubrick at the Roadhouse. He's not exactly the most tolerable person either," she answered, cutting the last of the tape. "Now, can we go?"

**EPOV**

"All right." Sam put the last of the ingredient into the small fire we were burning in the middle of a cemetery. "Bone ash. Cayenne pepper. That should do it."

"One second."

I looked over my shoulder to see Dean still scratching at some lottery tickets. I sighed, "Dean, we really don't have time for this."

"She's right." Sam nodded.

"Back off, jinx. I'm bringing home the bacon." Finishing with the tickets, Dean grinned, looking up at us before moving to put them in the pocket of his jacket that was resting on one of the nearby gravestones. "All right." Turning again, he pulled the rabbit's foot out of his pocket. "Say goodbye, rascally rabbit."

He was about to drop it into the fire when the sound of a gun cocking had us all turn.

I groaned, "Bela."

"I think you'll find that belongs to me." She grinned cockily. "Or, you know, whatever. Put the foot down, honey."

"No." Dean faced her, a look on his face that made me think he had an idea. "You're not gonna shoot anybody. See, I happen to be able to read people. Okay, you're a thief, fine, but you're not-"

Before he could finish, Bela turned the gun to Sam and pulled the trigger, hitting his shoulder. Sam yelled out in pain and fell to the ground.

Dean looked to his brother, concerned, and then turned back to Bela, pissed. "Son of a-"

"Back off, tiger," she warned. "Back off! You make one more move and I'll pull the trigger. Oh, and that includes you, Elizabeth. Don't know where you got telekinesis from but I'm sure as hell not letting you pull another stunt like you did at my apartment." She turned the gun to me. "I'll pull the trigger before you even have a chance to blink."

Dean shifted on the spot, looking from Sam, to me, to Bela.

Bela kept the gun pointed at me as she spoke to Dean, "You've got the luck, Dean. You I can't hit. But your brother? Elizabeth? I can't miss them."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Dean exclaimed. "You don't just go around shooting people like that."

"Relax. It's a shoulder hit," she spoke as if we were talking about something so mundane and simple. "I _can_ aim. Besides, who here hasn't shot a few people? Put the rabbit's foot on the ground, now."

"All right. All right. Just take it easy." Dean started to slowly lower himself to place the foot on the ground. But instead of doing as she said, he threw the foot at her as he said, "Think fast."

Out of reflex, Bela caught the foot.

I relaxed, smiling widely. "You sure you wanna go running off with it now?"

"What do you say we destroy that ugly-ass piece of dead thing?" Dean suggested smugly.

**DPOV**

Standing over the fire, Bela dropped the foot into the hot coals. "Thanks very much for that. I'm out one-and-a-half million and on the bad side of a very powerful, fairly psychotic buyer."

"Wow, I really don't feel bad about that," I told her, my tone telling her how much I really didn't care. "Sam?"

"Nope," Sam groaned from where he stood on my right, holding a cloth to his shoulder. "Not even a little."

"Liz?"

Liz shook her head, standing on my other side. "Not at all."

Bela shrugged, turning to leave. But then she stopped, leaning against a gravestone where my jacket sat as she spoke again, "Maybe next time, I'll hang you out to dry."

"Oh, don't go away angry. Just go away." I really wanted her gone already.

Bela smiled, pushing off the gravestone as she finally started to leave. "Have a nice night, boys. Elizabeth."

**EPOV**

We were walking back to Baby with the guys, Dean and I in front and Sam behind a step or two as I carried the shovel and Dean carried the bag.

"You good?" Dean asked his brother, over his shoulder.

"I'll live," Sam groaned, still in pain.

"Don't worry, Sammy." I slowed down so I walked next to him. "I'll patch you up once we get to the car."

"I guess we're back to normal now, huh? No good luck, no bad luck." Dean seemed pretty happy about that, and so was I. Cursed objects suck. "Oh." Suddenly he stopped, patting down his pockets. "Forgot, we're up $46,000." He chuckled. "I almost forgot about the scratch tickets." But after feeling all his pockets, his face fell.

I groaned, "Bela."

As if right on time, a fancy, expensive, brand new car drove by, the driver beeping the horn at us.

"Son of a bitch!"

**Bamby**


	7. Possessed?

**SPOV**

I walked into Bobby's kitchen, carrying a few articles I'd found and printed off the net. "Hey."

Dean looked up from where he'd been making bullets as Bobby tried to figure out how the Colt worked. "Hey, what's up?"

"Might've found some omens in Ohio. Dry lightning, barometric pressure drop."

"That's thrilling."

"Plus, some guy blows his head off in a church and another goes postal in a hobby shop before the cops take him out," I added, walking into the study. "Might be demonic omens."

"Or it could just be a suicide and psycho scrapbooker." Dean shrugged, still heavy with the sarcasm.

"Yeah, but it's out best lead since Lincoln," I noted.

"Where in Ohio?"

"Elizabethville. It's a half-dead factory town in the rust belt."

He looked up at me, so disappointed. "There's gotta be a demon or two in South Beach."

I grinned. "Sorry, Hef, maybe next time."

The sound of the front door had as all falling silent as someone made their way into the study.

"Hey, Bobby you home?"

**EPOV**

Walking onto the wooden floorboard porch as I neared the front door. Not bothering to knock, I walked right into the run-down house that was the closest thing I had to home, grumbling as I moved to the study.

"Hey, Bobby you home?" I asked, closing the door behind me. "Thought I'd call in-" I cut myself short as I came around the corner, seeing Dean and Bobby sitting at a table in the library as Sam stood nearby. "Oh, sorry. I, uh… didn't realise you had company..."

Laid out on the table in front of Bobby and Dean was the Colt... well, what used to be the Colt. They'd broken it down into pieces. Why? I could only assume so they could figure out how it worked.

"Hey, Lizzie." Sam offered me a wide, genuine smile.

I couldn't help but smile back at him as he moved over to give me a hug. "Hi, Sam."

"Haven't seen you around here for a while," Bobby noted. "Everything okay?"

As I pulled away from Sam I turned to my surrogate father. "Does something have to be wrong for me to come home?"

"Usually."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "Everything's fine, Old Man. I just thought I'd come by, check up on you, grab a few things from my room and maybe stay a day or two before I head back out."

"Wait." Dean looked confused. "You have a room?" He turned to Bobby. "She has a room? Why don't we have a room?"

"I raised her for a few years. She was here a lot. The girl needed a room."

"We were here a lot," Dean argued.

I chuckled lightly, his jealousy amusing me. Sam watched the two of them as well, just as amused as I was. Dean may be the eldest of the Winchester brothers, but he could be the more immature one.

Changing the subject, Sam nodded to the gun piece in Bobby's hand. "How's it going, Bobby?"

"Slow," Bobby answered, turning back to work on the piece- whatever he was doing.

Dean shook his head, looking at all the pieces of the gun laid out on the table. "Man, I tell you, it's a little sad seeing the Colt like that."

"Only thing it's good for now is figuring out what makes it tick," Bobby noted.

"So, what makes it tick?" Sam and I asked, both of us grinning mischievously, knowing the question would bug the old man.

Bobby was not impressed with our question, looking up at us clearly annoyed and frustrated.

Dean just grinned at the older man. "So if we wanna go check out these omens in Ohio you think you can have that thing ready by this afternoon?"

Bobby looked to Dean now, even more unimpressed. "Well, it won't kill demons by then, but I can promise you it'll kill you." He aimed the piece he'd been fiddling with at Dean.

Dean chuckled. "All right." He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and looked over to me. "We got a case. You wanna tag along? Bobby's gonna be pretty busy with the Colt."

I thought about it for a moment, wondering if me going would mean I was now a part of their team again. I mean, I'd never stopped being part of their team, we still were on the same side and working the same job. I just did it all solo now.

As much as I'd come here to see Bobby, I'd actually come because I was feeling a little lonely on the road. When I'd decided to go solo, I hadn't really thought it through. I was angry and upset and hurt, and made a rash decision. So, maybe going with the guys on this case would do me some good.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" I shrugged before looking over to Bobby. "That okay with you, Bobby?"

He gave a short nod. "Fine by me. You boys just take care of her. You run into anything, you call me."

"Of course." I smiled at him, giving a little wave as Dean, Sam and I left.

**SPOV**

Now dressed in our cheap suits- Lizzie included- the three of us followed the priest through the church as we impersonated people working for an insurance company.

"There's not much left for the insurance company. It was a suicide. Saw it myself," Father Gil informed us.

"Well, this shouldn't take long, then." Dean nodded.

Father Gil came to a stop, gesturing to the seat of the church on the second floor. "That's where Andy did it. It's the first time I'd seen him in weeks. He used to come every Sunday."

"When did he stop?" I asked.

"Oh, probably about two months ago. Right around the time everything else started to change."

As Dean took notes and Lizzie listened, I continued on with the questioning. "Change how?"

"Oh, let's just say this used to be a town you could be proud of. People cared about each other. Andy sang in the choir. And then one day he just wasn't Andy anymore. It was like he was-"

"Possessed?" I finished for Father Gil.

"You could say that. Gambled away his money, cheated on his wife, destroyed his business. Yes. Like a switch had flipped."

"Father, did you know the man who killed those folks in the hobby shop?"

"Sure, Tony Perkins." Father Gil nodded. "Good man."

"Would you say that his personality suddenly changed one day too?"

Father Gil didn't answer right away as he looked a little taken back by the question, but then h nodded again. "I never thought about it that way but, yes. About the same time as Andy, about two months ago."

Dean, Lizzie and I shared a look, the three of us having an idea of what might have happened to both men. It's no coincidence they both suddenly changed right around the time the Devils Gate opened.

"Well, thank you, Father." Dean put his note pad away. "Appreciate your time." Giving a polite smile, the three of us waited as Father Gil walked away.

Once he was gone, Dean, Lizzie and I started to for the exit as I spoke in hushed tones. "Two months ago, we opened up the Devil's Gate all of a sudden this town turns into Margaritaville? It's no coincidence."

**DPOV**

Sam and I walked towards our hotel room. Liz hadn't wanted to share with us like she used to and instead chose to stay in the room next to ours, which is where she was now. Sam and I had been a little unsure at first, seeing as we had no idea what was going on in this place, but in the end, it wasn't up to anyone but Liz.

Opening the door to our room, I noticed the mirror on the ceiling in an instant and couldn't help but chuckle. Dumping my bag on my bed, I shook my head still amused as I moved to close the door seeing as Sam was busy dumping his things onto his bed.

I was just about to close the door when the one across the hall opened, a familiar face stepping out.

"Richie." I chuckled again. "I don't believe it."

He looked just like he had all those years ago, like he came from Jersey shore. Dark curls hidden under a 'trendy' fedora hat, and clothes that looked like they belonged on a causal pimp.

Richie looked up at me, surprised. "Hey, Dean Winchester, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

A woman walked out of his room dressed in a very short, barely-there denim skirt and tight, revealing dark purple dressed, with long bottle blonde hair and heels.

"Oh, um... this is my sister, Cheryl." Richie shrugged, giving a causal and carefree chuckle.

Cheryl looked over to Sam and me as we stood in our door way. "Hey."

"Hi, Cheryl."

"Here." Richie handed her some cash which she took before walking off, all three of us watching her go. When I gave Richie a questioning look he gave another shrug. "Well, you know, stepsister."

Shaking my head at the guy, always finding him amusing, I gestured for him to follow Sam and I. "Come on in. This is my brother, Sam."

"Hey, how you doing?" Richie stepped up to Sam, shaking his hand.

"Not too bad," Sam answered, looking at Richie curiously. "How do you two know each other?"

"You were at school," I explained, taking my suit jacket off and tossing it onto my bed.

Richie moved to stand in the middle of the room. "It was that succubus in Canarsie, right?"

I nodded, untucking my shirt, trying to get comfortable. I hated wearing these suits. "Yeah, yeah."

"Oh, man," Richie groaned, remembering the case- mainly the succubus. "You should have seen the rack on this broad. Frigging tragedy when I had to gank her."

That wasn't right. Shaking my head, I looked to him expectantly. "Whoa, who, wait. Who- who killed her? If I remember your ass was toast until I showed up."

Richie rolled his eyes. "Oh, I forgot what a comedian this guy was."

"Richie, I told you then, I'll tell you again," I started as his phone began to ring. "You're not cut out for this job. You're gonna get yourself killed."

Instead of answer me, he answered the phone. "Talk to me." Walking over to the other side, he turned to me for a moment. "FYI, Winchester. Words hurt," he noted before going back to the conversation on the phone as he sat on the couch. "Yeah. No, it's not a good time, baby. Later." He hung up.

"So you find anything in this town anyway?" I asked.

"Oh, no, I got nothing." He grinned until I gave him a look letting him know what I meant. "Wait, you mean as in demons and whatnot?"

"Yeah." I answered as if that were obvious. Which it was.

"Yeah. No, I got nothing." He grinned again.

The door opened then, Liz walking in, now out of her pantsuit, and back in jeans, tank, dark red leather jacket and boots, with her hair pulled in a ponytail.

Richie stood up in an instant, taking his hat off as he looked her up and down. "Hi."

Liz looked him up and down before turning to me. "You've made a friend."

Walking forward, Richie stepped up to Liz. "I don't think we've met. I wouldn't forget a gorgeous face like yours." He winked.

She grinned. "He's a charmer."

"Back off Richie," I warned without even thinking about it.

He looked from her to me, slowly stepping back from her. "You two a thing?"

"No." Liz shook her head. "We're just friends." It was like a punch to the gut, 'just friends'. "I'm Elizabeth, by the way."

Grinning, Richie stepped closer to her again. "Well, Elizabeth, it is lovely to meet you."

"Richie is a hunter," Sam explained to Liz.

She looked surprised. "Really? You found anything?"

"Nah." Richie shook his head. "Church guy, hobby-shop guy, they were lunch meat by the time I got there. And maybe they were possessed, but I can't prove it."

"Yeah, that's where we are too," Sam noted. "You know, let's just say that demons are possessing people in town, you know, raising a little hell-"

I could see where he was going, but there was just one problem. "Yeah, but why would a demon blow his brains out?" I asked, sitting on the bed to take my shoes off.

"For fun?" Richie suggested. "You know, he wrecks one body, moves to another. Like taking a stolen care for a joyride."

Liz shrugged, willing to work with Richie's theory. "If that's the case, someone else has to be possessed by now, so you know anyone in town that fits the profile?"

"You know, nice guy turned douche, still breathing?" I added.

"There's Trotter."

"Who's that?" Sam asked, seeing as a name wasn't really worth much, we needed more.

"He used to be head of the rotary club," Richie explained. "Then people say he turned bastard all of a sudden. Brought in the gambling, the hookers. He practically owns this whole town."

Sam nodded, clearly thinking it was a good lead. "You know where we could find him?"

Richie shrugged. "Oh, he'll be at his bar in a few hours."

...

I parked Baby, before the three of us got out and looked around. Everywhere we looked we could see people, and by people, I mean hot, young, friendly chicks. Lots of them. Drinking, talking. There were guys as well, but the majority of the people were attractive women.

"I thought you said this was some boarded-up factory town," I noted, walking around to stand with Sam at the front of the car.

"It is. Or at least it's supposed to be." He looked just as surprised as I was, only I was a little more excited.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do some research." I grinned, turning to walk down the path.

Sam and Liz followed without a word.

I didn't get far before I caught the eye of a brunette sitting in a car, the door open. She leaned forward, watching me, gesturing for me to come closer. Grinning, I was just about to make a move when someone stepped in my way.

"Come on, big boy." Liz put herself between me and the brunette, pressing a hand to my chest to try and get me walking again. "We've got a case, remember?"

Pouting, I didn't argue or put up a fight as she shoved me lightly and pushed me along, leading me to the bar.

**EPOV**

Entering the bar, I didn't know what I was expecting. From how Sam had described the place I thought it would have been bare except for a few people. But what we found instead was a lively, full house.

People were drinking, dancing, talking, laughing, gambling, playing pool, flirting. All the things people did in bars, except the energy was buzzing more than usual.

I hadn't even made it to the bar when a guy stepped up to me. "Hi there."

The guy was in my way, causing me to stop. Sam and Dean didn't even notice I was behind them as they kept walking.

"Uh, hi?" I shifted on the spot, trying to get past.

Grinning, he looked me up and down. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No thanks," I politely declined as I started to find Dean and Sam, leaving the guy behind. But I hadn't taken three steps before _two_ more guys stepped up to me.

Once again, I politely declined their offers for drinks, and shut down any suggestive talking. I didn't waste a moment when I saw an opening, before I made a break for it, finding Dean and Sam with Richie by the bar.

Dean turned to me the moment I was by his side. "Hey, there you are. Everything okay?" he asked, instinctively taking a step closer to me- I wasn't even sure he realised he'd done it.

"I've been hit on three times in the past five minutes."

"Can see why. You're a total knock out." Richie gave me a charming smirk which had me chuckle lightly.

"Back to business, Richie." By the tone in Dean's voice, I couldn't help but wonder if he was a little annoyed with his friend.

"Right." Richie nodded, gesturing behind Dean, Sam and I. "That's Trotter over there." We all turned to see an older man in a black suit by a booth in the corner, talking to another guy. "He sits there all night. Can't touch him."

"So, what do we do now?" Sam asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna do a little investigating with that bartender," Dean answered, looking at the dark-haired bartender in the tight red top and jeans.

I simply rolled my eyes. "Of course you are."

"Easy," Richie warned, looking to Dean. "Me and her, we got a little something-something lined up for later."

Dean scoffed, clearly not believing the guy. "Yeah, right."

"Stings, don't it?" Richie gave Dean a look I couldn't quite read before he shrugged. "All right, I gotta hit the head. Release the hostages. Be back in a few." Turning around, he walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

Making a disgusted face, I turned to the bar. "Well, I'm officially grossed out."

"No way he gets a girl like that." Dean was absolutely sure of himself as he watched the bartender. "I mean, look at her. You could fit that ass on a nickel."

"You think so?"

All three of us were shocked to see Father Gil from earlier sitting at the bar right by Dean.

"Oh..." Dean laughed a little nervously. "Sorry, Padre."

But the priest didn't seem to mind as he gave as a kind smile. "Knew you three would find your way here. They all do."

"No offense..." Sam started, looking just as surprised as Dean and I. "But what are you doing here, Father?"

Father Gil shrugged. "Like it or not, you go where your flock is."

"Plus the clergy drinks for free." Right on time, the bartender stepped up to Father Gil, filling up his glass.

"True." He nodded. "And a certain bartender owes me a confession."

"Not in this lifetime, Father." She grinned, taking a shot.

"I better see your butt on Sunday." Father Gil quickly down his drink before getting up and turning to the three of us, leaning towards Dean. "Nickle or no nickel." He grinned, walking away.

Leaning on the bar- which put her chest on display more than before- the bartender looked to the brothers as she spoke to the three of us. "What can I get you?"

"What's your specialty?" Dean asked, taking Father Gil's spot.

"I make a mean hurricane."

Dean nodded, looking at her with a charming smile and eyes. It was a look I knew all too well. "I guess we'll see about that."

The bartender smiled and moved off to get the drinks.

Sam laughed at his brother. "You drink hurricanes?"

Dean couldn't wipe the smile off his face. "I do now."

Rolling my eyes, I took the seat next to him. "If I have to deal with you flirting all night, I'm gonna need something stronger than a hurricane."

He turned to me, his smile turning into a grin. "You jealous?"

"You're the one that's been acting jealous, Winchester," I countered.

Leaning closer, grin still on his lips, he whispered in my ear. "That's the first time you've called me that since the Devil's Gate. You've barely said my name out loud, too."

I was taken aback. Was he right? Had I really not said his name that much? Why? I mean, I understood why I hadn't called him Winchester. I'd started calling him that as a way to flirt with him. It was like how he called me Liz- the fact he still called me that hadn't gone unnoticed. But me not saying his name much, to the point where he'd noticed, was odd.

"Hey." Sam nudged Dean, getting our attention as he gestured to the other side of the bar.

Looking over, we could see two men talking by the pool table, one holding a gun by his side- no one else had noticed yet. The body language of the guy holding the gun had me on edge. He looked empty... like maybe he was possessed.

The three of us acted quickly, rushing around the bar to get to the two men, hoping to get there before something bad happened. I lifted my hand to pull the gun from the man's grasp.

But Dean quickly stopped me, pushing my arm down. "We don't know who's watching," he noted.

The sound of the gun going off had me jump.

Everyone screamed and ran as the man with the gun raised his weapon to press it to his own head now.

Dean jumped into action, running up to the guy as fast as he could. I gave him a little more time by concentrating on the gun, jamming the trigger. As the guy tried to shoot, he found he couldn't. But before he could question why, Dean tackled him to the ground and knocked the weapon away, saving the day.

Sam was right there, a flask of holy water in hand. He splashed a little on to the guy as Dean struggled to keep him down. But there was no reaction from the water.

"What are you doing?" The guy stopped struggling, looking up at Sam and then to Dean. "He slept with my wife. The bastard slept with my wife."

There was no demon... at least not in this man.

"Somebody call 911," I called.

**SPOV**

After Dean had tackled the guy and Lizzie had yelled out for someone to call the authorities, I'd looked up and caught the eye of Trotter. He'd given me a look, one I couldn't shake. It had me wondering about the guy...

That wasn't the only thing that had me on edge though. Dean, Lizzie and I were still in the bar, which was now empty, save for the cops, paramedics and a few people taking witness reports.

"Too many cops here, I say we bolt."

But Dean didn't move. "Just be cool." He looked over, watching the cops arrest the shooter. "Poor jerk. Only thing possessing him was a sixer of Pabst."

"So, what's the deal, then?" I asked. "People in this town getting possessed or not?"

"I don't know." Dean shrugged. "Maybe it is just what it is. You know, a town full of scumbags."

"Maybe." Lizzie didn't sound too sure, though.

"You three ready for your mug shots?" a cop asked, stepping up to us, grinning at his own joke. "Photographer's gonna be here in a few and take your picture for the local paper."

"It'll be an honour, officer." Dean smiled politely at the man. "What a thrill." He chuckled as the cop walked away.

Once we were alone again, I nodded. "Yep, time to go."

We were about to stand when Dean stopped. "Wait a second. Wait a second."

"What?" I asked expectantly.

"Where's Richie?"

**EPOV**

Sam was over by the bar getting some drinks while Dean and I sat at a table. Dean was focused on his phone, trying to get in contact with Richie. He was clearly worried about the guy.

"You do realise there's red meat within striking distance, right?" Sam noted as he took a seat on my right, placing the three beers down on the table.

Dean didn't even look at his brother as he responded, still on his phone. "How many times I got to tell Richie, he's gonna get himself in trouble?"

"Dean, you're assuming he's missing. I mean, maybe he just bailed," Sam suggested.

I nodded, reaching over to take a fry off of Dean's plates. "Sam's right. Richie didn't exactly seem like the kind of guy to hunt."

Shaking his head, Dean didn't agree with us. "He's a moron. I mean, he's a sweet moron, but he's not a coward. He wouldn't just bail." He sounded so sure. "I got to go find him."

"All right." Sam sighed. "Meanwhile I think I'm gonna trail this Trotter guy."

"Yeah?" I asked. "How come?"

Sam shrugged. "Something about the way he looked at me last night. Maybe there is something going on here."

"Well, then," Dean looked over at me, "who you going with? Sam, or me?"

I wasn't like there was any other option, I could have gone off on my own to follow a lead, but there were no leads to follow.

"I'll help find Richie," I answered. "If Dean's right, he could be in a lot of trouble. And you can handle Trotter. I have complete faith in you." I winked at Sam.

He chuckled. "Thanks."

"But," I turned to Dean, "we go after this burger is finished. I don't care how worried you are, you need to eat."

Rolling his eyes, Dean grabbed the burger off the plate as he looked to his brother. "Remind me why we let her tag along."

**SPOV**

Standing in the hallway outside Trotter's office, behind the corner so I couldn't be seeing, I peeked around to take a look. Trotter and his bodyguard, or henchman were in the office, talking.

My phone began to ring, a little too loudly.

"Dean," I answered, keeping my voice low.

" _Sammy_."

"Yeah. Hey. I can't talk right now."

" _You okay?_ "

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh... meet me at the bar in 20 minutes, okay?" I told him before hanging up, not giving him a chance to respond.

I could hear someone coming out of the office and heading my way. Thinking and moving quickly, I rushed down the hall in the opposite direction and behind another corner, keeping out of sight. If I wanted to figure out what Trotter was up to, or what he was, then I was going to have wait for both men to leave so I could get into the office.

**DPOV**

"I'm gonna head to the bathroom," Liz told me, resting a hand on my shoulder as she looked up at me with apologetic eyes. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. She knew how I was feeling and I knew she was there for me if I needed her.

Nodding, I gave her a small smile. "I'll be at the bar."

Letting her hand drop from my shoulder, she walked off and headed to the bathrooms.

I moved over to sit at the bar. Not even ten seconds later, a woman walked over and stood by my side, smiling seductively.

She spoke with a husky, suggestive voice, "I got to tell you, every woman in this place? They want to eat you up."

"Well, hey." I shrugged, grinning as I worked some charm. "Anybody could have tackled that guy. And wrestled the gun away. Prevented mass murder."

"Here's what I'm gonna do," she started, and I couldn't help but smile in anticipation, knowing what was coming next. "Normally, I charge $400 a night." Leaning forward, she whispered in my ear. "Why don't we call it an even deuce and get the hell out of here?"

So maybe I didn't know what was coming next.

My smile fell. "What do I look like?"

She looked offended. "What do _I_ look like?" Walking away, she muttered under her breath, "Cheapskate."

A light laugh had me look over to Casey, the bartender, as she poured some drinks and spoke to me. "Did I just see you strike out with a prostitute? How's that work?"

My grin was back in place as I shrugged again. "Well, I just told her I had a thing for the bartender. It was pretty easy."

"Who says the bartender's available?"

"That's a good question." I nodded. "You got something going with some guy, you know, about yea tall, wears a sweat-suit...?"

She gave me a clueless look. "Who?"

"No. My mistake." I shook my head, getting back to the flirting. "What do you say you and me grab a drink after your shift?"

"I say why wait," she leaned forward, a look in her eyes that told me she was ready to get up to no good, "when we can go right now?"

Smiling, I was just about to get up and leave when I remembered Liz was in the bathroom, and that she'd be right back.

Casey nodded. "Oh, right. Your girlfriend."

"Huh?" I looked at her confused. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"So, that girl that was with you before. The blonde. She's not your girlfriend?"

My scoff was a reflex. "No."

"Well then." She pulled back and moved to walk around the bar. "What are we waiting for?"

As I followed her out of the bar, I looked over my shoulder for a moment, wondering if I should have told Liz where I was going. But before I could make up my mind, the doors were closing behind us.

**SPOV**

I waited until I could hear the office door being closed and the two men walking away before I moved from my hiding place.

Once inside, I headed for the desk and began rifling through the drawers, checking the calendar, searching everywhere or anything that might help with the case. That when I found some keys.

Suddenly the henchman was coming my way, taking a swing.

I dodged him before taking my own swing, hit him as hard as I could a few times. That was until I felt a gun pressed against my neck.

It was Trotter. "What are you doing here?"

I stopped hitting the guy, answering the question. "I think maybe you know."

"Yeah? Well, I think I'm calling the cops!"

I frowned, confused. "Cops?"

"Breaking and entering, assault," Trotter explained. "You're in a peck of trouble, my friend."

"Uh, well, I think I could probably explain it-" I twisted around as fast as I could, snatched to the gun from Trotter, and moved so I could point the weapon at both men. "All right, back up! Get back."

Doing as I said, Trotter raised his hands. "Money's in the safe! Take it and go."

"I don't want your money." I told him, still holding the gun with one hand as I took my holy water flask out with the other. "I just got to be sure." opening the flask, I then splashed some of the water onto both men.

They flinch and sputter from the sudden spritz of cold water as they turned to look at me, outraged. But nothing else happened. They weren't demons.

_Well, this is awkward..._

"What kind of psycho are you?" Trotter snapped.

"Oh, god. Uh... I'm sorry." I gave a casual shrug, trying to lighten the mood. "I think this was just a minor misunderstanding." Smiling nervously at then, I started to back up towards the door. "Yeah, okay, um... how 'bout I just... I just leave, 'cause..." I removed the bullets from the gun. "I'll take these." Giving a sheepish shrug, I placed the gun down to the ground "Okay, I'll, uh, I'll leave this for you. Uh... have a nice day?" Moving as fast as I could, I turned and hurried out of there, feeling so unbelievably embarrassed.

**EPOV**

I sat at a tale in the bar, tapping my foot on the ground nervously as I tried to call Dean, yet again. After I'd walked out of the bathroom I'd expected to find him where he told me he'd be waiting. But instead he was gone.

Sure, I was pissed he'd ditched me, but I was also worried. When we'd gone looking for Richie, we'd found more than we were bargaining for...

Lifting my phone, I tried calling him again. "Come on, come on. Pick up, Dean."

**DPOV**

Walking down some stairs, I followed Casey into the basement of her parent's house. She'd explained to me how her parents had left her the place after she'd died. It had looked nice outside, like a little cottage, but down here reminded me of a dungeon.

"Looks like the maid's day off," I joked, taking in the cobwebs and dust. Looking over at Casey, I noticed how she'd paused, something catching her eye. "Everything okay?" I asked, stepping up to her.

She simply turned and removed her jacket before pressing a gentle kiss against my lips. "Make yourself comfortable," she told me as she moved over to a door that lead to another room.

I strolled around the place casually, watching her. "Oh, I forgot to mention... Richie was a friend of mine." She turned to me, clearly pissed. My smile was gone as I went on. "When I realised I could track the GPS in his cell phone, I swung by earlier. Gave him a proper burial. It's better than rotting in some skank's basement."

That was enough to piss her off.

She charged at me, yelling. Only to be pushed back once she was a foot or so away from me.

"Oops." I crouched down and lifted a corner of the mat away, revealing a devil's trap I'd drawn earlier. "Isn't that a buzz kill?" Standing up, I pulled dad's journal out from my jacket. "Sorry, sister, but you're going back to where you came from."

She gave a light chuckle. "I don't think so."

Ignoring her, I began to read the Latin words in front of me. " _Spiritus immunde, undolara. Pasonitote..._ "

Closing her eyes as if meditating, Casey stayed calm despite the position she was in. As she continued to do whatever she was doing a breeze began to blow around the room, getting stronger and louder.

Recollecting myself, I tried again. "' _Spiritus immunde, undo_ -"

Suddenly the pages from the book began to pull and fly away, scattering around the room because of the mystical breeze. I tried to grab them, but there was no point, they were all gone.

Casey opened her eyes and grinned at me before the place began to shake and there was a loud crack. Out of nowhere, the ceiling began to cave in, closing off the exit.

Shocked and a little more pissed than before, I turned to Casey who looked pleased. "What are you laughing at, bitch? You're still trapped."

She simply shrugged. "So are you... bitch."

**Bamby**


	8. Cavalry or Indians

**DPOV**

I stepped up to one of the candles in the basement, lighting it with my lighter. Grabbing a small candle, I lit that one as well before I moved over to the rubble. With some light, I was hoping I'd be able to find my book, or a way to get out of here.

"Lose something?" Casey asked from where she was still stuck in the devil's trap.

I gave a short, bitter laugh. "All you demons have such smart mouths."

"It's a gift."

"Yeah, well," moving away from the rubble, seeing as the pages were gone and there was no way I was getting out that way, I turned to Casey, "let's see if you're smiling when I send your ass back to Hell."

"Without your little exorcism book? Hey, go ahead."

Determined to prove her wrong, I tried to recite the exorcism from memory. "Spiritus immunde... Un, guh..."

"Having a little trouble there, sport?"

Clearing my throat, I began again. "Spiritus immunde, undolare, Pasonitote." Taking a breath, I tried to remember the next part but couldn't for the life of me.

"Nice try, but I think... you just ordered a pizza. Guess you should have paid more attention in Latin class." She looked so smug.

"Hey, I don't know what you're smiling about." I gestured to the devil's trap. "You're not going anywhere."

"And, apparently, neither are you."

Moving over I noticed a hole in the ceiling that appeared to lead outside. "Yeah, but I got people coming for me, and, uh... they did pay attention in class," I noted, giving a cocky grin before looking up to see that the hole was closed off by bars.

 _Looks like that's not a way out_.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, right. Sam and Elizabeth. Everyone says they're the brains of the outfit."

That was actually a little offense. "Everyone?"

"Sure. You Winchester boys are famous. Elizabeth too." She shrugged. "Not Lohan famous, but, you know..."

"Well, that's flattering. I'll be sure to let them know when they get here."

"If they show up first." When I looked to her confused and a little alarmed she simply grinned. "What, you thought I was flying solo? You shouldn't underestimate, Dean, it might be the death of you."

That was news to me. Besides the seven deadly sins, most demons worked alone... hearing this now, I was not happy.

As I glared at her, moving forward, she looked anything but scared. She actually looked bored. "You can give me hard eyes all you want, but the fact remains, we just have to wait and see who shows up first. The cavalry," she grinned, "or the Indians."

**EPOV**

"Lizzie?" I looked up to see Sam heading my way. He looked around, clearly noticing something was wrong. "Where's Dean?"

"Good question," I sighed, pointing at my phone as it sat on the table. "I've tried calling and texting him, but he won't pick up."

"How long have you been waiting?"

"About fifteen minutes," I answered, feeling a little guilty. "I know I should have called you, but if I did then that meant I was admitting that there's something wrong, and I'm already too worried and I didn't want to stress you out because of what Dean and I found and then I thought maybe he just-"

"Wait." Sam cut my ramblings short. "What did you guys find?"

I looked up at him with hard and angry eyes. The emotions weren't directed at him, they were for the asshole who'd killed Dean's friend. "Richie's dead."

Sam's eyes went wide. "He's- he's dead?"

"Yeah. Dean turned on Richie's phone's GPS. We found him at some house, in a basement, his head turned around one hundred and eighty. It was awful."

"So, whose place is it?"

"We don't know." I shrugged, my worry creeping back up. "We came here hoping someone might be able to tell us. But after I got out of the bathroom, Dean was already gone."

Searching my eyes, Sam seemed to realise just how scared I was. How scared I was for Dean. "Come on." He gestured for me to stand. Once I was next to him he led us over to the bar and nodded to the bartender "Excuse me. Hi."

The barman stopped and turned to us. "What can I get for you?"

"Um, you remember the guy we were with last night?" Sam gestured to some nearby seats. "We sat right here. Umm..."

The barman nodded, looking so disinterested. "The big hero who jumped on Reggie."

"Yeah, yeah. The- the big hero. Right. Um, have you seen him around at all today?"

"Maybe." The barman shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?" I asked, an urgency in my tone. When the barman simply raised and expectant eyebrow, I groaned. "You've got to be kidding me." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out some cash and handed him the single note.

With my money now in hand, the barman shrugged. "He left with Casey about an hour ago."

"Any idea where they went?" Sam asked.

"Her place... for Bible study," the barman answered sarcastically.

Getting somewhere, Sam nodded as he spoke again. "All right, you got an address?"

"What's wrong with you? You think I'm gonna give you a co-worker's address, just so you can go over there and get your freaky peeping-tom rocks-" Before the barman could finish Sam handed him some more money which then got us our answer. "Corner of Piermont and Clinton. Have fun."

**DPOV**

I stood on a wine cask, reaching towards the grate in the ceiling, trying to get a signal.

"Why don't you relax?" Casey suggested, sitting comfortably in her trap, not worrying a single bit. She actually seemed amused by the whole situation.

"Why don't you kiss my ass?" I snapped.

"Why, Dean, you're a poet. I had no idea." She grinned. "Look, we won't have any effect on the outcome of this. We might as well be civil."

Turning to her, I gave an incredulous look. "Civil, huh? Killing Richie, that was... that was civil? The guy was harmless."

"That knife he pulled on me? Didn't look so harmless."

"Uh, a knife wouldn't hurt you," I noted, turning back to the grate in the ceiling.

"No, but it would damage this body. And Casey has such a fine body, I wouldn't want to see it ripped."

I laughed. "A demon with a heart." Getting down from the cask, I shook my head. It was like every time she spoke I found myself more and more shocked. "Wow. Well, you know, there's a bunch of dead people in town that might disagree with you."

"Hey, I didn't pull any triggers."

"Yeah? You did something," I muttered.

"You want to know what I did? What I _really_ did? I had lunch."

"Lunch?"

"Me and Trotter. He had a cheeseburger, I had a salad, and I just pointed out the money that could be made with a few businesses that cater to harmless vice. So Trotter built it, and, man, did they come. Supposedly God-fearing folk, waist-deep in booze, sex, gambling. I barely lifted a finger."

"That's it?"

"You don't get it." She grinned as if she were in on some big secret. "All you got to do is nudge humans in the right direction. Some whiskey here, a hooker there, and they'll walk right into hell with big, fat smiles on their faces. Your kind is corrupt, Dean. Weak. Our will's stronger. That's why we'll win."

"And that's how it ends?"

"No." She gave a short shake of her head. "That's how it begins."

**SPOV**

Lifting my hand, I knocked on the door Lizzie and I stood in front of. But as my knuckles hit the wood, the door slowly opened.

"Dean," I called as we stepped into the apartment.

Walking into the living room, we found it a mess. But not a someone-broke-i-and-trashed-the-place kind of messy. It was more of a lived in messy.

"Sam..." Lizzie turned, lifting her hand to show me a yellow powder on her fingers. "It's sulfur."

**DPOV**

Sitting on the floor in Casey's basement, we kept the conversation flowing. It's not like we had anything else to do.

"So, demons take over. I thought the meek shall inherit the earth."

Casey grinned. "Oh, according to your Bible." When I just kept looking at her, waiting for her to explain why that mattered, she shrugged. "It's only a book, Dean."

"Not everyone would agree."

"Because it's God's book?" She paused, squinting her eyes a little as if trying to figure something out. "Do you believe in God, Dean? I'd be surprised if you did."

"I don't know. I'd like to."

"Well, I don't see how you and your God, have done such a bang-up job. War, genocide, it's only getting worse. I mean, this past century, you people racked up a body count that amazed even us. It's our turn now, and we're gonna do it right this time."

The sound of movement outside caught my attention.

I stood up and turned back to the grate in the ceiling, trying to listen for more noise. Hoping it was Sam and Liz.

"Don't be hopeful, Dean. You're not delivered. It's only the wind."

**EPOV**

Walking back into the bar, I spoke on the phone as I followed Sam. "Bobby, it's Lizzie. We've got a big problem. Sam and I found some sulfur and now we can't find Dean. Call me as soon as you get this."

I hung up just as Sam began to speak to the Barman. "Hey, excuse me. Um, they weren't there."

The bar-man shrugged, not caring at all. "I guess you got to catch your jollies another night. Here." He turned to grab us a couple of shots. "Why don't you have a drink and relax?"

But Sam had had enough, no longer playing by these peoples' games. "Yeah, I don't want to relax! What is it with the people in this town?"

Looking offended, the bar-man drank the shot himself. "Suit yourself, princess." With that, he walked off to get back to work.

Sighing, I turned away from the bar, feeling agitated, guilty and worried. If something happened to Dean I'd never forgive myself. I shouldn't have gone to the bathroom. Not when Richie had been killed. Not when we weren't even sure what was going on in this God forsaken town.

Over in a booth I spotted Father Gil sitting by himself and remembered how he and Casey had been friendly towards each other. It was a long shot, but maybe he could help.

"Sam, come on." I grabbed the younger Winchester's arm before dragging him along. As we reached Father Gil's table I offered the priest a polite smile. "Father."

He looked away from his drink and towards Sam and I. "Yes?"

"Can we talk to you for a second?"

**DPOV**

Pacing around the devil's trap, I shook my head. "You know, you're piling it pretty high there, sweetheart. I'm not sure I'm buying."

"Why would I lie?"

"Demons lie," I noted. Though I shouldn't need to, it was pretty obvious.

"Some do," Casey admitted. "Some are true believers."

"Believers in what?"

"What, you think humans have an exclusive on a higher power?"

Well this was news. I stopped my walking and turned to her, surprised. "You have a god?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "His name's Lucifer."

"You mean the Devil?"

"Your word, not ours. Lucifer actually means 'light bringer'. Look it up. Once he was the most beautiful of all God's angels. But God demanded that he bow down before Man, and when he refused, God banished him. Tell me, Dean. How do you like bowing before lesser creatures?"

I didn't answer her question. Not because I didn't have an answer. No, it was because I was still trying to wrap my head around it all. "Lucifer's really real?" Walking again, I couldn't help but grin at the thought. _The devil is real..._

"Well, no one's actually seen him, but they say that he made us into what we are, and they say that he'll return."

"Oh, yeah? And, uh, you believe that?"

"I've got faith."

Now that was amusing. A demon with faith. "Mm."

"So, you see? Is my kind really all that different than yours?"

"Well, except that, uh, demons are evil."

"And humans are such a lovable bunch." There was a pause before she added, "Dick Cheney."

"He one of yours?"

"Not yet. Let's just say he's got a parking spot reserved for him downstairs."

I laughed, shaking my head. This whole thig was amusing, me being stuck down here with no signal. Even if Liz and Sam tried, they wouldn't be able to work my GPS without a signal. They'd have to figure out where I am on their own. I know they could, but I also knew it was going to take them awhile.

So to pass the time, I was stuck with a demon. _Talking_ with a demon. Having actually conversations with a demon. It was insane. But there was some good that could come out of it all.

"Hey, speaking of downstairs... what's it like down there?"

"What, Hell?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"That's right. You booked a one-way ticket with that deal. You're not gonna like it, Dean. And, um, judging from the trouble you've caused, I don't think you'll be getting the presidential suite. No, it's a pit of despair. Why do you think we want to come here?"

**SPOV**

"So, the, the bartender the other night, Casey. You know her pretty well?" I asked as Lizzie and I sat with Father Gil.

Father Gil nodded. "Since she was in pigtails."

"Well, um, she and my brother, they, uh..." I paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to tell him. "They... left tonight. Together."

"Ah…" Father Gil understood in an instant. "Well, not that I approve, but they are consenting adults," he noted before realising something. "I'm sorry. You said 'brother'. I thought the three of you were insurance investigators?"

"We are," Lizzie spoke up, giving the priest a charming smile as she explained. "It's a family business."

"And you're their sister?"

"No. She's a family friend," I answered for Lizzie. "Anyways, um, so... so, we went to Casey's apartment, and they weren't there. Um, I-I just have this feeling that they... that they might be in trouble."

Father Gil's smile dropped. "What kind of trouble?"

"Just... trouble." It's not like we could tell him the truth. "Look, please, Father, we need your help. Is there anything you could tell me about Casey? Anyplace she'd go, maybe?"

"Yes, there is a place. Let me get my jacket." He went to get up, but I quickly stopped him.

"No, wait, wait, wait, Father. I don't want to put you out. We can do this on our own," I assured him, getting a nod for Lizzie as she backed me up.

But Father Gil was adamant. "If Casey's really in trouble, then there's nothing to talk about."

**DPOV**

Casey grinned. "Kind of funny, don't you think? You and me sitting here like a couple of regular folk."

"Yeah, it's hilarious. You know, in that... apocalyptic sort of way."

"You're all right, Dean." She shrugged, her words causing me to scoff. "The others don't describe you that way. But, you know, you're... you're likable."

"A demon likes me. Sorry, I don't know how to respond to that."

"You could say thanks." She suggested. "That deal you made to save Sam? A lot of others would mock you for it, think it was weak or stupid. I don't."

I frowned, looking up at her. "I made the deal to save both Sam _and_ Liz."

She looked shocked. "Wait, you don't know?" Slowly she began to grin. "I guess Elizabeth wouldn't either."

"What are you talking about?"

"The deal you made. The Crossroads Demon must have told you they could only save one." My silence was answer enough, she knew they had. "You never wondered why? You never asked who it is you're going to hell for?"

No, I didn't ask, because it didn't matter and I didn't want to know. I didn't want Sam or Liz to know. I didn't want them to start wondering why one of them had come back when my deal was only for one of them. We had enough problems to deal with.

"I could tell you," she offered, her eyes grinning but her tone made it seem as if she really didn't care. I knew better. She was loving this. "I could tell you anything you want to know."

**SPOV**

I sat next to Father Gil in his car as Lizzie sat in the back. It was dark now, and Dean had been gone for a couple of hours.

"So, insurance investigating. You enjoy the work?" Father Gil asked, trying to pass the time I guess.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I like being able to help people."

"Ever think about doing anything else?"

"Like what?"

"Hmm, anything." He shrugged. "You seem like a pretty smart kid. Both of you actually." He looked to Lizzie through the rear-view mirror. "Somehow I see the two of you out in front of the pack. You could do some great things."

"I don't know. I like doing what I'm doing, I guess."

"Me too," Lizzie agreed.

"Well, it's your life. Does, um… Dean?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Dean."

"Does he find trouble often?" Father Gil asked.

I laughed lightly. "Yeah. Yeah, Dean finds his fair share."

"Well, it's a good thing he has you. His brother's keeper."

**DPOV**

"How did Liz come back?"

"I'm not too sure on the details." Casey shrugged as she sat on the mat above the devil's trap. "All I know is that it had something to do with a deal."

That didn't make sense. My deal didn't work on her.

Casey spoke again, cutting off my train of thought, "It was a deal made when she was a little girl. People don't really think about what they say when making a deal. They just kinda of… speak. Most of the time it works out how it's supposed to, but one wrong word and the whole contract becomes something new."

I wasn't sure what she was going on about, all I cared about was the first thing she'd said. "Who made the deal?"

Leaning back so she could lie on the mat, she grinned at me. "Her mother."

My heart stopped. Casey didn't need to tell me what that meant. Liz's mother had made a deal. That meant she would have been taken by Hellhounds. That meant she was in hell.

"Elizabeth was in a car accident with her mother. It was on the fourth anniversary of her father's death. Four years since her father burned on the ceiling of her nursery. Her mum had been an emotional mess and made a mistake that put Elizabeth in a coma. The only thing keeping her alive were the machines connected to her."

Liz had never told me how she'd lost her family, all I knew was that she'd been fifteen when she started hunting. Taking in Casey's words, I could put the pieces together and figure it all out.

When Liz was six months old her father died. Four years later she was in a car accident with her mum. After she died, without really dying, her mum would have made the deal to save Liz. Ten years later when Liz was fourteen, almost fifteen, the Hellhounds would have come to collect…

It didn't explain what happened to Liz's sister, but it told me enough.

"What was the deal? If it brought Liz back again, what was the deal?"

She sat up then, watching me. "I wish I could tell you, I really do. But I'm not a Crossroads Demon. Only they know the ins and outs of deals. Maybe a few higher up demons, too. Azazel would have known about Elizabeth's in the end."

"Azazel?" I didn't recognize the name.

"You think his friends just called him 'Yellow-Eyes'? He had a name."

As much as I wanted to know more about Liz, I knew Casey had told me all she could. So instead, I changed the subject. "Let me ask you a question. The gate opened, the demon army was let out. What now, huh? I'm not seeing a big, honking plan here."

"Honestly, there was a plan. Azazel was a tyrant, but he held us all together. After you did him in, it all fell apart."

"Sorry about that." I honestly wasn't. "So, what? No chain of command?"

"There was." She nodded. "It was Sam. Sam was supposed to be the grand Pooh Bah and lead the big army, but he hasn't exactly stepped up to the plate, has he?"

"Thank God for that."

She chuckled. "Again with God. You think this is a good thing? Now you've got chaos, a war without a front, hundreds of demons all jockeying for power, all fighting for the crown. Most of them gunning for your brother," she noted. "And for the record, I was ready to follow Sam."

"Dean?!"

At the sound of Sam's voice, we both looked to the grate in the ceiling.

"Dean?" Liz's voice followed.

Casey didn't exactly look too happy, and I didn't blame her, we both knew what came next. "Looks like you win."

"Dean!" Sam called again.

**EPOV**

"You check that way." I gestured to the right of the house. "Sam and I will go this way," I told Father Gil who nodded before the three of us headed off.

"Sam! Liz!"

Sam and I both paused, hearing Dean's voice. "Dean?" we both called at the same time.

"Sammy, down here! Liz! The basement caved in!"

We followed his voice, finding a hole in the ground that was blocked off by some bars. Looking down, we caught sight of Dean.

"Oh, thank God." I smiled down at him, feeling so relieved. "Hey, hold on, okay? We're coming."

"We're here with the Father," Sam added.

There was a pause as Dean looked behind him before he turned back to us, worry in his eyes. "Be careful."

The look in his eyes told us enough. There was something wrong.

Both Sam and I pulled back, reaching for our guns as we walked back around to the front of the house. As we rounded the corner we saw Father Gil. Only, he wasn't Father Gil- probably hadn't been since before we got here.

He stood there, tense and ready for a fight, his eyes black. Taking a step, he started for us.

A gun shot went off, the bullet hit the head of a statue behind Father Gil. Neither Sam or I had made the shot though.

Looking to the side, I was surprised to see Bobby standing there with the Colt.

Father Gil turned as well. Raising his hand, he flung Bobby away so easily before he turned to Sam and sent him flying towards the Impala. Before he could do the same to me, I stood my ground and lifted my own hand, pushing him back.

He grunted and stumbled, but was otherwise fine. Slowly lifting his head, he grinned at me. "Let's see what you've got."

**SPOV**

I was well aware that Father Gil and Lizzie were now fighting, the two of them using their minds to attack the other. As much as I would have liked to help, I knew that jumping into something like that would not have made any difference. If anything, I would make the situation worse.

So instead, rolled off the hood of the car with a groan before rushing over to Bobby as he lay on the ground where Father Gil sent him. "Bobby, you all right?"

"Yeah." He nodded, getting himself into a sitting position.

"How did you know where we-"

Before I could finish, he cut me off and handed me the rebuilt Colt. "Do it."

"You heard the man." Ruby suddenly appeared. "Do it."

Lifting the gun as I turned around, I took aim and shot at Father Gil. The bullet flew through the air and hit him right in the temple. He froze for a moment and then twitched a few times before his lifeless body fell to the ground.

I moved as fast as I could, reaching Lizzie just before she could collapse. Whatever she and Father Gil had been doing it had left marks on both of them. She had a couple of cuts on her cheeks and looked exhausted.

"You okay?" I asked, holding her up.

She nodded. "Let's go get Dean."

**DPOV**

Both Casey and I stood, waiting as something or someone moved the rocks blocking the doorway. She looked hopeful which had me feeling a little more anxious with each passing second.

As the last few rocks fell away we watched as someone moved through the cloud of dust and into the room.

It all happened in a split second. The figure lifted their arm as the dust began to settle. I only had a moment to call out to Sam, to try and stop him. But he didn't listen as he pulled the trigger.

Casey fell to the ground, her eyes set in shock as she bled out and died.

...

"Well, what do you think, Bobby?" I started as he and I walked across the road on the main street of town. "About what we did here, you think it made a difference?"

"Two less demons to worry about. That's not nothing."

He had a point, but nothing really seemed different. "Yeah, but Trotter's still alive."

"Humans ain't our job," he noted.

"Yeah, but you think anything's really gonna change? I mean maybe these people do just want to really destroy themselves. Maybe it is a losing battle."

"Is that you or the demon girl talking?""

I shook my head, grinning. "Oh, it's me. Demon is dead, and so is that hot girl it was possessing."

He sighed. "Well, had to be done. Sam was saving your life."

"Yeah, but you didn't see it, Bobby. It was cold." I stopped and turned to face him. "Bobby…"

"Yeah?" he stopped and turned to me.

"Back in Wyoming, uh, there was this moment. Yellow Eyes said something to me."

"What'd he say?"

"That maybe when Sam came back from..." I shrugged. "Well wherever. That maybe he came back different."

Bobby frowned, confused. "Different how?"

"I don't know. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. You think... think something's wrong with my brother?"

There was a brief pause before he answered. "No. Demons lie. I'm sure Sam's okay."

"Yeah. Yeah, me too." I nodded as we stated walking again. It didn't take us long to reach my car. Looking in the passenger window, I offered Liz a small smile. "How you feeling?"

After Sam had killed Casey he told us what had happened. He told me how Liz had fought with the Father, how Sam had killed him, and how Liz had been the one to move the rocks so Sam could get into the basement. She'd passed out after that.

Since then Bobby and I had gone and packed her things and checked her out of her hotel room while Sam got our stuff. Liz had been waiting in Baby while the rest of us got ready to leave.

Leaning her head against the back of the car seat, she looked up at me. "I'm sleepy."

"Come on, then." Bobby opened the door for her. "Let's get you home."

But she didn't move. In fact, she cuddled into the seat even more. "No."

"No?" Bobby and I asked at the same time, both of us surprised and confused.

Closing her eyes, Liz managed to give us a short shrug. "I'm going with Sam and Dean."

Turning to Bobby, the older man and I shared a look. I had no problem with Liz tagging alone again. Sam wouldn't mind either. I just wanted to make sure Bobby was okay with it.

Without saying a word, he gave a short nod. It wasn't much, but I knew what he meant. He didn't mind, so long as we took care of her. I didn't need to make any promises though, we both knew Sam and I would do whatever it takes to take care of her just like she'd do the same for us.

**Bamby**


	9. Once Upon a Time

**EPOV**

I sat in the back of the Impala, trying to make myself look as small as possible behind Sam as the brothers argued in the front seat. I hated it when they fought, but there was nothing I could do about it. Whenever I tried to break it up, the argument always got worse.

"I don't understand, Dean. Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"We got the Colt now!"

"Sam," Dean warned.

"We can summon the Crossroads Demon!"

They were shouting over each other, getting louder and louder.

"We're not summoning anything."

"We pull the gun on her, and force her to let you out of the deal!"

"We don't even know if that'll work!"

"Well then we'll just shoot her! If she dies then the deal goes away!"

"We don't know if that'll work either, Sam! All you're pitching me right now is a bunch of 'ifs' and 'maybes' and that's not good enough, because if we screw with this deal, you die!"

"And if we don't screw with it, you die!"

"Sam, enough! I am not going to have this conversation."

Sam stopped yelling but continued to glare at his brother. "Why, because you said so?"

"Yes, because I said so!" Dean yelled so loud I wondered if his voice would hurt later.

"Well you're not dad!"

They both fell silent and tuned to each other. The tension in the car had me shrinking back even more. If I'd known teaming up with them again would be like this, I would have just gone home with Bobby...

"No, but I am the oldest," Dean answered simply as he began to raise his voice again. "And I'm doing what's best. And you're going to let this go, you understand me?"

They stared at each other angrily until Sam turned away to look out the window.

Now a little calmer, Dean turned to look at me for a moment before looking to the road again. "Sorry." I didn't respond, which had him sigh. "Liz-"

I grabbed the case file, cutting him off, "So, the case. A psychotic killer. Rips victims apart with brute-like ferocity."

Seeing that I was determined to keep the conversation away from the argument, Dean nodded, going along with me "Okay, any mention of his razor-sharp teeth or his four-inch claws? Animal eyes?"

"No." I shook my head. All three of us were wondering if we were dealing with another werewolf case. "But the lunar cycle's right. Look, if it is a werewolf we don't have long, moon's full this Friday and that's the last time it changes for a month."

Dean shrugged. "Two days, no sweat."

**SPOV**

The three of us, dressed in our suits, walked into the victim's hospital room. He was lying on the bed, seeming unharmed. There's been two fatal victims so far. This guy was the only one to get away alive.

Dean held up his fake badge as Lizzie and I did the same before we closed them. "I'm Detective Plant, this is Detectives Page and Bonham." He gestured to me and Lizzie respectively. "We're with the County Sheriff's Department."

Kyle- the victim- nodded. "Yeah, uh, I've been expecting you."

"You have?" Dean asked. It was odd...

"All morning. You are the sketch artists, right?"

I turned to Dean, unsure. "Uh..."

But Dean just grinned. "Absolutely. Yeah. That is exactly who my partner is." He gave my shoulder a hard pat. "The things he can do with a pen." He gave a light chuckle as I turned to glare at him. Concentrating on Kyle, he went on. "But listen before we get started on that, I wanted to ask you, uh, how'd you get away?"

"I- I have no idea. I was hiding, and he found me. He was coming right for me and then he just stopped. Staring at me with this blank look. And after that he just took off running."

"'Kay." I sighed, pulling out a small notepad and pen from my pocket. "Um, I'm going to need as much physical detail as you can remember."

As Kyle started talking I began to draw. "Uh yeah. Uh, he's about six feet tall... dark hair..."

"Um, what, what about his eyes, what colour eyes did he have?" I asked.

"Maybe... blue?" He didn't sound too sure.

"Blue?" I repeated.

He shrugged. "It was dark."

"Did they seem," Dean cleared his throat, "uh, animal-ish?"

Kyle looked at him confused. "Excuse me?"

"What about his teeth?" Lizzie started. "You notice anything strange about 'em?"

Kyle shook his head. "No, they were just teeth."

"Teeth, okay." I nodded, still drawing on the note pad.

Dean went on with another question. "How about his fingernails?"

Kyle, clearly not understanding our line of questions, began to get a little worked up. "Okay, look he- he's just a- a normal guy, with normal eyes a-a-a-and teeth and fingernails!"

"Look sir, it's okay if-"

He cut me off "No. No. Those were my brothers. This guy, he- he killed my brothers. How would you feel?"

I paused, not knowing how he felt, but knew chances were I would soon. "Can't imagine anything worse."

Even though I wasn't facing them I could feel Dean's eyes on me as Lizzie shifted uncomfortably. I knew Lizzie didn't like it when Dean and I argued, or when the deal was brought up. I knew she still hadn't told Dean that the reason she'd left was because his deal was too much like the one her mum made. I knew Dean was determined to stop me from helping him.

It was very complicated.

Getting back to it, Dean started talking again. "I know this isn't easy but if you could remember any more details..."

"Th-there was one more thing he had a- a tattoo on his arm of a cartoon character. Um, it's, uh, it's the guy who's chasing the Roadrunner-"

"Wile E. Coyote!" Dean filled in, a little too excited.

Kyle simply nodded again. "Yeah, that's it."

A Doctor walked into the room, heading towards the bed. "Kyle?"

"Dr Garrison."

"How you holding up?"

"Okay, considering."

"You're Kyle's Doctor?" Dean asked.

Dr Garrison looked to the three of us, not knowing who we were and why we were talking with Kyle. "Yes?"

Pulling out his badge, Dean showed the doctor his fake ID before gesturing to the door. "Can I just ask you a few questions?"

"Sure." Dr Garrison nodded, turning to leave.

Once they were both gone, Kyle gestured to my notebook. "Don't I get to see it?"

"Uh," I laughed a little nervously, "yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, yeah, it's a, you know… work in progress." Handing the notebook over, I noticed Lizzie was trying not to laugh beside me. She'd been able to see the pad the whole time I'd been drawing.

It was a simple stick man figure. A child could have done better...

**DPOV**

Looking down at Sam's 'sketch' as we walked on the path heading for my car, I couldn't help but laugh. "Boy, this is a piece of, uh, art. Really."

Sam snatched the notebook from my hands. "Yeah, like you could've done any better. So what did the doc have to say about Kyle's brothers?"

I shrugged. "Not much, they were D.O.A. at the scene. He did give me the lowdown on the coroner's report."

"Hearts? Gone or not?" Liz asked, standing on my other side.

"Not," I answered. "But chunks of their kidneys, lungs and intestines."

Liz made a face. "That's just gross."

"Yeah, also definitely not werewolf behaviour," I noted.

"So, what? Demon? Attacker could've been possessed," Sam suggested.

But it didn't feel right to me. "Why would a Demon stop halfway through an attack?"

"I think that, uh... could've..." Sam shook his head. "Yeah, I got nothing."

"All I'm coming up with is witch craft." Liz shrugged. Before either Sam or I could debunk her theory, she spoke again, "But if a witch cursed or hexed someone, there'd be evidence... and the third brother probably would've been killed too. So really, I've got nothing either."

"Looks like its three nothings," I sighed, reaching the car.

**EPOV**

At the hotel, I lifted my hand to knock on Sam and Dean's door. My room was across from theirs. They'd tried to convince me to stay with them like I used to, but I wasn't really up for that yet. I may have decided to keep hunting with them, but I still needed some distance. I still needed my own space.

Sam was there in an instant, opening the door for me with a smile. As I stepped in, I couldn't help but notice that we were alone.

"Dean's getting food," he answered my unasked question.

Shrugging, I moved over to sit on one of the beds as Sam moved to the table. He went back to his computer, researching any possible causes for what happened to the brothers. There was nothing for me to do at the moment, so I just sat there, twiddling my thumbs. That was until I saw their father's journal sitting on the bedside table next to me.

I'd never read it before. Never even held it. I wasn't sure if Sam and Dean would mind, but my curiosity got the better of me. Reaching over, I grabbed the journal and began to read.

There were entries from when the brothers were still children, back to when John Winchester had just started hunting. The more I read, the worse I felt. Sure, he was a great hunter, but the dates and details told me how little he was around for his sons.

_No wonder Sam and Dean are so close, Dean practically raised Sam..._

"Lizzie?"

I quickly closed the journal as I looked up at Sam. "Uh... yeah?" When his eyes looked down at the book in my hands, I instantly felt guilty. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine." He shook his head, pushing the laptop away.

Seeing that he really meant it, I found myself asking questions. "It was always just the two of you, huh? You and Dean?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Pretty much. Sometimes we had our dad, sometimes we had Bobby. But most of the time it was just us."

Looking down at the journal, I felt a little jealous. Gabby- my sister- and I had been really close. Mum had been a cop, her hours all over the place, and our father had died when I was a baby thanks to the Yellow-Eyed Demon. So, just like with the brothers, Gabby played a big part raising me.

Losing my mum had been horrible, losing my sister had been unbearable.

"You're not alone, Lizzie." I looked up at Sam, confused. He shrugged, going on. "I know you need your space. I know you're upset. But you're not alone. You have a family. You're our family. Dean and I, we love you. You mean a lot to us."

A small smile played on my lips. "I know, Sam. You guys mean a lot to me, too."

"So maybe you can stick around for a while? Stop closing yourself off?" he suggested. I turned away again, causing him to sigh. "I get it. I know about your mum. I know Dean's deal is too much for you." He paused a moment, thinking about his words before speaking again, "Maybe you should tell him-"

"No." There was no hesitation, no reason to think about it.

I could never tell Dean the truth. If he knew why I was so upset, why I'd been distancing myself, what I'd been through, he'd feel incredibly guilty, and the last thing I wanted to do was make him feel worse than he already did.

Sam didn't say anything else. He gave me a simple nod, one that understood my reasoning but one that also disagreed. We both knew there was no point in arguing though, my mind was made up and I was too stubborn to even think about changing my mind.

As if right on time, Dean walked into the room. "Sammy, I got-" He cut himself off seeing me. "Liz. I, uh, didn't know you were gonna be here. I didn't get you any-"

"It's fine." Giving him a polite smile, I got off the bed and headed for the door. "I'll see you guys later." Walking past Dean, I avoided looking at either of them as I left and headed to my own room.

**DPOV**

We were back in the hospital. There'd been another incident. This time, a woman and a man had been hiking when an older lady invited them into her house, fed them poisoned food and then killed the man.

Coming around the corner, Sam, Liz and I stood in the doorway of the younger woman's room. We weren't sure how, but she'd managed to get away.

"Please, please," she begged, looking up at Dr Garrison as he stood by her bed.

"Shh." The doctor tried to keep her in the bed. "Hey, we need to observe you while the drugs still might be in your system."

"I have to go," she pleaded, tears in her eyes. "I have things to do, arrangements I need to make."

"It can wait," Dr Garrison insisted. "Now you need to rest. Stay. I'll be back in a few minutes." Turning he moved over to Sam, Liz and I, giving the three of us a sigh. "Detectives."

I gave him a nod. "Dr Garrison."

"What the hell is going on here? My whole town is going insane." He was clearly frustrated and upset about the whole situation, and I honestly didn't blame him.

"We'll let you know as soon as we do," Sam assured him.

Without saying another word, Dr Garrison then left. We watched him go for a moment before walking into the room and headed over to the woman.

"Miss Watson?" I asked, earning a nod. "Hi. We just need to ask you a few questions," I told her, the three of us showing her our badges.

"Do we have to go over this again?" She was practically on the edge of tears. "Now?"

Sam was gentle as he spoke to her. "We'll try to be brief. Miss Watson, can you tell us how you got away?"

She nodded. "I didn't eat as much as Ken did, so I wasn't as out of it. And, when the old woman was... carving up Ken, I shoved her, and she fell. Cracked her head on the stove." She paused, looking up at us. I wasn't sure if she was hopeful or scared as she continued. "She's dead, right? I- I killed her?"

Instead of answering her, I asked another question. "Do you have any idea why she'd do this to you?"

"No. One minute she was a sweet old lady and the next she was, like, a monster."

Liz rested a hand on the woman's arm, trying to offer some kind of comfort. "I know this is hard, but can you remember anything else?"

"Um, yeah." Julie sniffed as she answered. "Did you find a little girl there, by any chance?"

"A... little girl? At the house?" Sam sounded as confused as I felt and Liz looked.

"I thought I saw her outside the window. She, she just disappeared. Just vanished, into thin air," she explained as Sam, Liz and I shared a look. "It m-must've been the drugs."

Chances were, it wasn't.

"This disappearing girl. What, what'd what did she look like?" I asked.

She looked confused. "Does it matter?"

"Yes," Sam insisted. "Every detail matters."

The woman sighed as she began to describe the little girl. "She had this dark, dark hair and really pale skin. She was around eight. She was a beautiful child. It was odd to see her in the middle of something so horrible."

**EPOV**

At the house of the old lady that had attacked the couple, Sam, Dean and I were looking for anything that might tell us what had happened and what had caused it. But so far, I was getting nothing.

"Well, there's no sulfur anywhere," Dean noted as the two of us had searched the whole house, looking for any. "How about the EMF?" he asked Sam as we walked into the living room.

Sam stood by the window in the living room, the EMF reader going off. "Yeah, it's going nuts. But only over here by the window. There's definitely a spirit here."

"Who stood outside the crime scene and watched." Dean looked just as confused as I felt. Ghosts didn't tend to simply observe violent acts. They usually caused them.

"Looks like." Sam shrugged.

I looked to each brother. "I don't know about you two, but I'm even more confused than when I was when we first got here..."

"Actually, I do have a theory. Uh, sort of."

Dean and I turned to Sam, the eldest Winchester urging him to go on. "Hit me."

"Well, I'm thinkin' about fairy tales." The look on Sam's face let me know he was serious, but he understood how ridiculous he sounded.

Dean paused before he grinned. "Oh that's... that's nice. You think about fairy tales often?"

"No, Dean, I'm talking about the murders," Sam explained. "A guy and a girl? Hiking through the woods, an old lady tries to eat 'em? That's Hansel and Gretel. And then we got three brothers, arguing over how to build houses, attacked by the Big Bad Wolf."

I nodded, getting it now. "Three Little Pigs."

"Those guys were a little chubby," Dean added. "Well, wait, I thought those things ended with, uh, everybody living happily ever after?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "The originals, the Grimm Brother's stuff was gruesome. Sex, violence, even cannibalism. Over the years it got sanitized, turned into Disney movies and bedtime stories."

Dean looked from me, back to his brother. "So you think the murders are uh, what? A re-enactment? That's a little crazy."

"Crazy as what? Every day of our lives?" Sam gave a pointed look.

"Touché." Dean nodded, moving over to his bag so we could pack up and leave. "How's the creepy ghost girl involved?"

"Well, she must've been here for a reason," Sam noted. "I'm willing to bet you top dollar she was at the construction site too."

"We gotta do research now, don't we?" Dean did not look to happy about that.

**SPOV**

Lizzie and I stood outside the Cumberland County Central Library, waiting as Dean walked out to join us. Stepping outside, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't happy.

"So?" I asked as Lizzie and I fell into step with him, heading for the car.

"Checked every record they had. Found the usual amount of violent childhood deaths for a town this size." he started as we crossed the road and walked into a park. "Wanna know how many how many were little girls with black hair and pale skin?"

"Zero," Lizzie and I answered at the same time.

"Zero!" He really wasn't happy with that result. "You wanna know how many how many little girls with black hair and pale skin that have gone missing? Right again. Zip, zilch, nada. Tell me you've got something good, 'cause I've totally wasted the last six hours."

I shrugged, telling him what Lizzie and I found. "Well you ever hear of Lillian Bailey? She was a British medium from the 1930s."

I didn't even need to ask to know he didn't know who she was. "She got a thing for fairy tales?"

"Nope, she's more of a trance kind of person," Lizzie corrected. "She used to go into these unconscious states where her thoughts and actions were apparently completely controlled by spirits."

"A ghost puppet master," Dean simplified it. "So you think that's what this kid is doing? Sending wolf-boy and grandma into trances, making them go kill-crazy?"

"Could be. You know, kinda like uh, uh, spirit hypnosis or somethin'," I suggested.

"Trances I get, but fairy tale trances?" Dean just couldn't wrap his head around it. "That's bizarre even for us."

The sound of a croaking had the three of us stop walking and look over to see a frog sitting on the ground nearby.

I couldn't help but grinning knowingly at Dean. "Yeah, you're right. That's completely normal."

As if right on cue, the frog croaked a few more times.

Dean rolled his eyes. "All right, maybe it is fairy tales. Totally messed-up fairy tales. I tell you one thing, there's no way I'm kissing a damn frog." He looked over at Lizzie then.

She threw her hands up. "Hey, don't look at me. Besides, the curse broke after a princess threw him at a wall. There was no kiss in the story."

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but I spoke first, seeing something at the front of a house across the road that caught my attention.

"Hey. Check that out." I gestured to the pumpkin that sat on the porch of the house.

They both turned to look.

"Yeah?" Dean shrugged. "It's close to Halloween."

"You remember Cinderella? With the pumpkin that turns into a coach, and the mice that become horses?" I reminded him as mice ran along the porch by the pumpkin.

Dean turned back to me, a look on his face like he was a little freaked out that I knew all that. "Dude, could you be more gay?" Before I could say anything in response he shook his head. "Don't answer that."

**DPOV**

After picking the lock to the front door, the three of us headed into the seemingly empty house.

"Well who knows, maybe you'll find your fairy godmother?" I muttered, grinning at Sam.

He simply looked annoyed as I continued to grin.

We split up to search the house, but none of us managed to leave before a noise caught our attention. Looking to each other, we waited a moment or two more, just in case. When we heard the noise again, Sam gestured to the kitchen.

"Help I'm in here!" a female voice called.

The three of us hurried towards the kitchen where we found a young blonde woman hand cuffed to the oven.

"Hey, hey." Sam knelt by her. "Don't worry, it's okay. We're here. We got you," he assured her as he opened up his lock pick kit.

"You have to help me. She's a lunatic."

I crouched done by her side as Liz kept an eye out. "What happened?" I asked.

The woman shook her head. "My step mum, she just freaked out, screamed at me, beat me, chained me up."

Sam reached over to pick the lock of her cuffs. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know."

"Uh, guys..." Liz nudged me.

I looked over, seeing a little dark-haired girl peeking around the corner at us. Sam looked as well right as the little girl turned and walked away.

"Come on." I got to my feet and nodded to Liz. "We'll check it out. Sam, stay here, help her," I told him before Liz and I walked out, following the little girl.

Guns in hand, Liz and I made our way into the living room where we'd followed the girl, but she wasn't there...

"Stay close."

Liz nodded, stepping a little closer. It may have been a little girl, but we weren't going to underestimate her. She was a spirit, she could do things that despite how small she was, could hurt all of us in this house.

The floor boards behind us creaked

Slowly, Liz and I turned, seeing the little girl standing there. She was dressed in a clean, bright, white dress with a red ribbon tied around her waist and behind her back. Her dark hair was straight, falling down her back, with a red ribbon keeping it out of her face. Bright blue eyes and pale white skin.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

But she stayed silent a moment longer before she began to flicker and then faded altogether. The only thing left was a bright red apple that sat where she'd just been standing.

**Bamby**


	10. Happily Ever After

**EPOV**

Dean and I were waiting outside of 'Cinderella's' house, leaning against Baby as we waited for Sam. We were both silent, Dean concentrating on playing with the red apple the ghost had left, tossing it in the air and catching it over and over.

"Paramedics picked up Cinderella," Sam told us as he walked across the road and towards the car.

Dean nodded, catching the apple. "That's good."

"She's not the only princess we're dealing with," I started, gesturing to the apple in Dean's hand. "Snow White."

"I saw that movie." I was shocked by Dean's words, until he continued on. "Or the porn version anyway, 'cause there was this wicked Stepmother? Woo, she was wicked." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes as Sam explained the real story to is brother. "There is a wicked Stepmother. And she tries to kill Snow White with a poison apple."

"But the apple doesn't actually kill the girl, right?" Dean asked.

"No, but it puts her into a deep sleep," I answered.

"So deep it's almost like she's dead," Sam added as the three of us climbed into Baby.

...

We'd asked one of the nurses if they had any comatose girls at the hospital. They didn't, but they did have a woman who'd been here for years. A woman who just so happened to be Dr Garrison's daughter.

Sam, Dean and I walked up to the doorway of Dr Garrison's daughter's room, finding the doctor sitting by her bed, reading her a story from a Grimm Brother's book.

"' _The Huntsman stepped inside, and in the bed lay the Wolf. So the Huntsman took a pair of scissors and cut open the Wolf's belly'_." The doctor paused as he looked up to see the three of us in the door way. Closing the book, he stood and walked over to us. "Detectives. Can I help you?"

"We just heard that Callie is your daughter," Dean told him.

Sam's voice was gentle as he added, "And we wanted to say how very sorry we are."

Dr Garrison nodded. "Well, uh. Thank you. If you'll excuse me." Walking past us, he started down the hall.

Dean gave Sam and I a look before we started to follow the doctor. "Oh, heading this way? We'll walk with you. How long's Callie been like that?"

"We don't mean to intrude," Sam quickly assured him. "We can't possibly understand how hard it must be for you seeing her like this."

"It's not easy," Dr Garrison started. "She's uh, been here since she was eight years old."

"Was that when she was poisoned?" I asked.

"Yes. Swallowed, uh, bleach. Never figured out how she got her hands on the bottle. My wife found her, uh, brought her to the ER here and I was on call."

"Your wife was, uh… was that Callie's stepmother?"

Dr Garrison stopped walking and turned to look at Dean, confused and surprised. "Actually, yes. How'd you know that?"

Dean shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"Well, Julie was the only mother that uh, Callie ever knew. My wife passed away last year and, uh... it's just my daughter and me now. She's all I've got left." It was painful, obviously. Losing everyone, I understood how that felt. Clearing his throat, the doctor collected himself. "Um, excuse me. I've gotta get back to work."

"Yeah." Dean nodded, letting the doctor walk away. The three of us shared a look and waited a moment longer before we turned to walk in the opposite direction. "Well you're right. It's Snow White in spades."

Sam sighed. "Yep. Step-mum poisons the girl, puts her into a deep sleep. What's the motive you think?"

"Could be like Mischa Barton," Dean suggested.

When Sam looked at him clearly confused, I explained, "He's talking about _Sixth Sense_ not the _O.C._ "

But Sam just looked even more confused. "What?"

Dean shrugged. "Hey, you know fairy tales, I know movies, and she knows everything." He gestured to me. "Mischa played the pasty ghost. You know, remember the mum had that thing, you know, where you keep the kid sick so you get all the attention?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, yeah." At least Sam understood that. "Uh, Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Huh, could be."

Dean nodded, going on. "So say all these years, Callie's been suffering silently because nobody knows the truth about what mummy dearest did."

"And after all this time her spirit just gets angrier and angrier, until it finally just starts lashing out," Sam added.

"Exactly." I nodded. "And while she's stuck she has to listen to her father tell her all these creepy stories about murder and whatnot. I'm pretty sure that's enough to drive anybody insane."

"Okay, but how are we gonna stop her?" Sam asked as we came to a stop in the main entrance of the hospital. "I mean Callie's stuck here, her father's keeping her body alive."

"It does make it a bit hard to burn the bones," Dean noted.

Just then the doors of the hospital opened as paramedics rushed an old woman on a stretcher in.

"Coming in!" one of the EMTs called.

A doctor headed over to the stretcher. "OK, what's her status?"

"Seventy-two-year-old female, sustained multiple lacerations and puncture wounds. BP is eighty over forty and falling. Sinus tachycardia."

The doctor frowned, looking at something on the woman's neck. "Is that a bite?"

"Looks like she was mauled by a mad dog or, maybe a wolf?"

"What was the last story Dr Garrison was reading Callie?" Dean asked.

"Little Red Riding Hood," Sam and I answered at the same time.

We waited, watching as they fought to save the old woman in one of the emergency rooms. But unfortunately, she didn't make it.

"Excuse me," Sam spoke, getting the attention of one of the EMTs. We all showed him our badges. "Was she the only victim?"

"She was found by the side of the road, barely alive. Alone."

"We need to find her next of kin," Dean told him

The EMT looked through some paperwork before speaking. "She has a granddaughter."

"Do you have an address?" Dean waited a moment before the EMT handed him the piece of paper. "Thank you."

We walked off, speaking so no one else could hear us. "You two find a way to stop Callie, all right?"

Sam frowned, coming to a stop. "What about you?"

Dean stopped as well, tuning to us. "I'm gonna go stop the Big Bad Wolf." he shrugged. "Which is the weirdest thing I've ever said."

"I'm going with you," I told him, determined to go.

"No, Liz-"

Before he could finish, I glared at the piece of paper in his hand, causing it to rip form his grasp and move into mine. Dean and Sam looked around with wide eyes, worried someone might have seen.

"You gotta be more careful," Sam warned, worried.

But Dean now looked pissed. "You gotta stop using that. Last time it nearly killed you."

He was right. After the little fight I'd had with the demon in Father Gil it had taken me a few days to get back to normal. I'd been sleepy and sore, both body and mind. It was like I'd run a marathon, up Mount Everest.

But I was okay now, at least I hoped. Besides, I wasn't going to let him put himself in danger. Not without back up, at least. "You've got two choices Dean, you let me go with you, or I make you take me," I warned.

He waited a moment, trying to think of a way to get what he wanted. But there was none, and once he realised that, he groaned. "Fine. Come on."

**SPOV**

"Dr Garrison!" I called as I rushed up to him. "I need to speak with you."

"Detective." He turned to me. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, um..." _This is gonna be awkward..._ "it's about Callie."

The doctor frowned, confused. "My daughter? What about her?"

It was clear Dr Garrison cared deeply for his daughter, no matter how I said this, it was going to be hard for him. I could only imagine how angry he might get with me. So maybe standing in the middle of an open corridor in the hospital wasn't the best place to have this chat.

"You know maybe, maybe could we sit down for a minute?" I suggested.

Suddenly, he was annoyed. "No. What about her?"

"'Kay. Well um..." I paused, looking around. But having no other choice, I just let it all out. "All right, Doctor, this isn't gonna be easy. What happened to Callie was not an accident."

"Excuse me?" He wasn't as annoyed anymore. Now, he was offended, working up to be pissed.

"I'm sorry, but it's true."

"You have no idea what happened to my daughter." He turned and began to walk away, but I was right there behind him still.

"There are things you don't know, Doctor, about your wife."

"My wife?"

"Doctor, your wife poisoned Callie."

This got his attention. Stopping in his tracks her turned to me, an anger in his eyes. "Why would you say something so horrible to me?"

"Because I need your help," I admitted honestly.

"You stay away from me, and from my daughter, you understand?"

"Doctor, this isn't... please, uh-"

Turning away again, he walked into Callie's room, slamming the door in my face. I sighed, looking around again. We didn't have time for this. Dean and Lizzie would only be able to hold the 'wolf' off for so long...

Without waiting a moment longer, I opened the door and walked into the room, closing the door behind me.

Dr Garrison had been sitting by his daughter's side. Getting up now, he looked enraged. "I'm calling Security," he warned, reaching for the internal phone.

I got in his way, holding the phone down. "No, listen. I don't have time to do this gently. If you don't listen to me more people are going to get hurt, because Callie is going to hurt them."

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"You're gonna think I'm crazy, but just understand me. Your daughter Callie is still here. She's a spirit."

He didn't respond right away. Instead he froze a little, the anger in his eyes fading as he then turned to look at his daughter's sleeping form. "So you've seen her too."

**EPOV**

Dean and I walked into the house carefully, guns drawn. Dean stayed close to me, a little in front. He was in protective mode. Moving around the corner, into the living room, we spotted a little girl in the red hoodie crying behind a bookshelf. Her face was smeared with blood.

I lowered my gun and hurried over to her. "Hey, sweetie." I gave he a gentle smile. "We're here, okay."

"You okay?" Dean asked, crouching down by the girl as well.

"Yeah-" She cut herself off with an ear-piercing scream.

We turned but it was _just_ too late. A man knocked the gun out of my grasp and threw me against the bookshelf. Dean moved to aim his gun at the man, but he was too fast, knocking Dean's gun away with a hard elbow.

Recovering quickly, Dean punched the guy. Yet it was as if he wasn't human, with his strength and reflexes, the man managed to grab Dean and throw him across the room and against the dining table.

Dean went to get up, but the man was right there, pushing him once more, only this time he pushed Dean in a china cabinet. Glasses and plates smashed on impact.

I lifted my hand and grabbed a hold of the man with my mind, straining to keep him in place so Dean could grab and stop him. But he was too strong, and the longer I held him the weaker I felt.

Keeping my hand up was beginning to be a struggle, hell keeping my eyes open was starting to become hard. I'd only been holding the guy for less than a minute and I could already feel myself growing dizzy.

When I felt blood dripping from my nose, that's when I finally gave up.

A second or two after I dropped my hand the man stormed over to me with a growl, looking at my dark red leather jacket. Leaning down, he wrapped his hand around my throat, cutting off my air supply.

He lifted me off the ground, holding me against the shelf, seething with rage, eyes a blaze. I honestly wondered if this was how I was going to die.

**SPOV**

"I sensed her... Callie," Dr Garrison started, taking a seat by his daughter's bed. "Her presence, her scent. I even saw her standing at the foot of my bed but I never believed it, I thought I was dreaming, I-"

"It wasn't a dream," I assured him. "She looks like she did when she was eight. White dress. Red ribbon in her hair. She's been trying to talk to you."

He let out a sigh. "You're not a cop, are you?"

"No." There was no need to lie.

"Then who are you?"

"Someone who knows a little bit about this kind of thing."

"But what you said about my wife poisoning Callie, that's-"

I cut him off, trying to explain. "Sir. Callie told us."

"What?"

"Not in so many words, but in her own way. She told us."

"My wife loved Callie," he insisted. "So how is- how is that possible?"

"I don't know. But it is."

"No. No, I- I don't believe you."

"Look, Callie is killing people. She's angry. She's desperate, because nobody will listen to her. So _you_ have to listen to her. Please, listen to your daughter."

Looking from me, then to his daughter, Dr Garrison took a deep breath as he reached for Callie's hand. "Callie? Callie, it's daddy. It's me, daddy. Is it true? Mummy did that to you? I- I know I wasn't listening before, but I'm listening now. Daddy's here. Please honey, is- is there any way that you can tell me?"

Having heard her father's voice, Callie's spirit appeared in the room.

"Doctor..." I caught his attention and nodded behind him.

He turned to see his daughter standing close, looking sad and lost. "Is it true?"

She simply nodded.

Tears formed in his eyes as he spoke. "Oh, I'm so sorry, baby. But listen to me. You gotta stop what you're doing, okay? You're hurting people. I know everything now. I know the truth. It's time for you to let go. It's time for me to let you go."

Slowly, he turned to his daughter's sleeping form and leaned over to caress her face before pressing a gentle and loving kiss to her forehead. As he pulled away the monitors began to buzz as they flatlined.

Callie was gone.

**DPOV**

I slammed into the guy, pushing him away from Liz, who dropped to the floor. I held him down, using all my body weight as I lifted the scissors I'd grabbed from the dining room. I was just about ready to kill him when the look in his eyes changed.

"Whoa!" He lifted his hands in surrender, the spell he'd been under now over. "Stop, stop! Whoa stop! Whoa! Where am I? What's going on?!"

Carefully, I lowered the scissors, out of breath. Getting off the guy I moved over to Liz where she sat on the ground. It had been a close call. Not only had the guy nearly choked her, but she'd done some damage to herself.

"Hey." I grabbed her face carefully, lifting her head so she would look up at me. "You're okay. I'm here." I wiped away the blood that had trickled out of her nose. "You wanna get out of here?"

She gave a slight and simple nod, leaning into me. "Yes please."

...

"And the girl's okay?" Dr Garrison asked as he, Sam and I stood by the nurses' station in the hospital. When I gave a short nod, he let out a relieved sigh. "So. It's really over."

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "All thanks to you."

"Callie was the most important thing in my life. But I should've let her go a long time ago." With nothing left to say, he turned to leave.

"See ya 'round, Doc," I told him before he could walk off.

He paused, shaking his head. "I sure hope not." He then walked away.

Once he was gone I turned to Sam. "You know what he said? Some good advice."

Sam frowned. "Is that what you want me to do, Dean? Is that what you want Lizzie to do? All of us? Just let you go?"

I didn't answer, because I honestly didn't think there was a reason to. He knew how I felt. So instead I just walked off, wanting to get back to the hotel to check up on Liz.

**SPOV**

I left Dean and Lizzie in the hotel room, we'd been too worried to let Lizzie stay in her own room so she was crashed out on Dean's bed while he slept on the couch. But I couldn't sleep. There was something I needed to do. Someone I needed to see.

I crouched down at the center of the crossroads sighing as I placed the box filled with all the needed ingredients, into a hold. After burying it with my hands I stood and dusted myself of as I began to wait, looking in all four directions, one at a time.

"Well. Little Sammy Winchester." I turned to see a woman in a black dress, with red eyes standing behind me. The Crossroads Demon. "I'm touched. I mean... your brother's been to see me twice, but you? I never had the pleasure." I simply glared at her as she looked me up and down. "What can I do for you, Sam?"

I drew the Colt and aimed it at her, smiling tightly. "You can beg for your life."

"We were having such a nice conversation. Then you had to go and ruin the mood."

"If I were you, I'd drop the wisecracks and start acting scared."

She grinned. "It's not my style." Taking in the gun, she noticed something, "That's not the original Colt. Where did you get that?" My silence was answer enough. "Ruby. Had to be. She is such a pain in my ass. She'll get what's coming to her, you can count on it."

"That's enough. I came here to make you an offer."

"You're gonna make _me_ an offer?" She almost laughed. "That's adorable."

"You can let Dean out of his deal right now. He lives, I live. You live. Everyone goes home happy. Or," I cocked the Colt, "you stop breathing. Permanently."

"Oh." She chuckled as she circled me. "All this tough talk. I have to tell you, it's not very convincing. I mean, come on Sam. Do you even want to break the deal?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. Aren't you tired of cleaning up Dean's messes? Of dealing with that broken psyche of his? Aren't you tired of being bossed around like a snot-nosed little brother? You're stronger than Dean. You're better than him."

"Watch your mouth," I warned.

"Admit it. You're here, going through the motions. But truth is, you'll be a tiny bit relieved when he's gone."

"Shut up."

She went on, ignoring me. "No more desperate, sloppy, needy Dean. You can finally be free. Hell, you could even make a move on Elizabeth."

"I said, shut up!"

"Huh. Doth protest too much if you ask me."

"All right, I've had enough of your crap. You let Dean out of his deal right now."

Shaking her head, she walked around me again, standing in her original spot. "Sorry sweetheart, but your brother's an adult. He made that deal of his own free will, fair and square. It's iron clad."

"Every deal can be broken."

"Not this one."

"Fine." I shrugged. "Then I'll kill you. If you're gone, so's the deal."

This time she did laugh. "Guess again."

I didn't expect that... "What?"

"Sam, I'm just a saleswoman. I got a boss like everybody. He holds the contract, not me. He wants Dean's soul, bad. And believe me. He's not going to let it go."

"You're bluffing."

"Am I? Shoot me, if it'll get you off. But the deal still holds, and when Dean's time is up, he's getting dragged into the pit."

Slowly, I lowered the gun, needing answers. "Then who's your boss? Who holds the contract?"

"He's not as cuddly as me, I can tell you that." She grinned again.

"Who is it?"

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry Sam." Her smile fell and she genuinely looked sorry. "But there's no way outta this one. Not this time."

I looked away for a moment, taking it all in. This hadn't been a complete waste of time but I still hadn't gotten what I wanted, what I needed. Dean was still going to hell. Letting out a deep breath, I knew there was nothing else I could do here.

Moving without hesitating, I aimed the gun and shot the Crossroads Demon right between the eyes, watching as she eventually fell to the ground, dead.

**Bamby**


	11. Adonis

**DPOV**

I looked in the rear-view mirror, making sure Liz was asleep. She was curled up in a ball in the curled behind Sam. There were a few things I needed to say to Sam and I knew she didn't like us arguing, so I thought it was best to wait for her to sleep. Usually Sam and I would already be yelling, but Liz was still recovering, which is why we were silent.

Fighting with the demon in Father Gil and then trying to stop the Brothers Grimm 'wolf'... she'd used her ability too much and it had drained her. Though it wasn't like how she'd been with her migraines- which I now knew where because of her ability. She was just sleeping a little more, and using her ability less.

Sam and I were still worried about her though, despite the fact she seemed to be getting better.

Breaking the silence, I looked over at my brother for a moment before turning back to the road. "So, I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me?"

He looked confused, but I could see through it. "It's not your birthday."

"No."

"Happy Purim?" He gave a short chuckle and a shrug. "Dude, I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking about-"

I cut him off, "There's a bullet missing from the Colt. You want to tell me how that happened? I know it wasn't me. It wasn't Liz. So unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans..."

"Dean..." he sighed.

"You went after her, didn't you? The crossroads demon. After I told you not to."

He gave another shrug, not caring. "Yeah, well..."

"You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I didn't."

"And you shot her."

"She was a smartass!"

I fell silent for a moment as I wondered what this meant for me. "So, what? Does that, does that mean I'm out of my deal?"

"Don't you think I might have mentioned that little fact, Dean? No. Someone else holds the contract."

"Who?"

"She wouldn't say."

"Well, we should find out who. Of course, our best lead would be the crossroads demon. Oh, wait a minute..."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not funny."

"No, it's not! It was a stupid freaking risk, and you shouldn't have done it."

"I shouldn't have done it? You're my brother, Dean. And no matter what you do, I'm gonna try and save you. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologize for it, all right?"

I had nothing else to say as I simply fell silent, concentrating on the road ahead while Sam sat there silent as well, shaking his head in exasperation.

**EPOV**

Standing in the living room of the home of Gertrude Case, an elegant seventy-year-old woman, Sam, Dean and I posed as cops to question her about the strange death of her niece who died by drowning in the shower.

"But I don't understand." She shook her head, looking down at a photo of her niece. "I already went over all this with the other detectives."

"Right, yes. But, see, we're with the Sheriff's Department, not the police department. Different departments," Dean explained.

Before Mrs Case could say anything, Sam spoke up. "So, Mrs Case-"

She cut him off suddenly, looking at the youngest Winchesters intently. "Please. _Ms_ Case."

Looking a little uncomfortable with the attention he was getting from the older woman, Sam gave a tight smile. "Okay. Um, Ms Case... you were the one who found your niece, correct?"

"I came home, she was in the shower."

"Drowned?"

"So the coroner says. Now, you tell me, how can someone drown in the shower?"

With no answer to her question, I spoke up. "Could you tell us how Sheila had been behaving in the days before her death? Was there anything strange about her? Did she act out of the ordinary?"

Ms Case looked to each of us, confused. "Wait a minute. You're working with Alex, aren't you?"

None of us spoke at first, unsure how to respond. It was Dean who spoke after a moment or two, offering a polite smile. "Yep. Absolutely. That's-" He chuckled lightly. "Alex and us, we're like this."

Ms Case returned his smile, seeming a little more willing to talk now. "Why didn't you say so? Alex has been such a comfort. But I'm sorry. I thought the case was solved."

"Uh... well, no." Sam shook his head. "No, not yet."

"I see." Ms Case sighed, taking a seat on her couch.

"So, anyways, we were talking about your niece," Sam pressed.

"Well, yes. Sheila mentioned something quite strange before she died," Ms Case started, her attention on Sam. "She said she saw a boat."

I frowned before speaking just as Dean did as well. "A boat?" we asked.

"Yes." Ms Case nodded. "One minute it was there, then it was gone. It just disappeared right before her eyes. You think it could be a ghost ship? Alex thinks it could be a ghost ship," she spoke to Sam, still looking at him intently.

It was clear the younger Winchester didn't like the attention, but he stayed professional. "Well, um... could be."

"Well. You let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." Ms Case gave him a suggestive smile as she reached up to trace her finger along Sam's hand which made Sam even more uncomfortable. "Anything at all."

...

"What a crazy old broad." Dean grinned as the three of us walked along the docks, heading back to Baby.

"Why? Because she believes in ghosts?" Sam actually sounded a little defensive.

I laughed. "Aren't you cute, sticking up for your girlfriend."

"Cougar hound." Dean chuckled.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Bite me."

"Hey, not if she bites you first," Dean joked. "So, who's this Alex? We got another player in town?"

"I've never heard of him... or her," I noted.

Sam shrugged. "Doesn't change our job."

"And we're thinking ghost ship, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "It's not the first one sighted around here, either."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Every thirty-seven years, like clockwork, reports of a vanishing three-mast clipper ship out in the bay," Sam explained. "And every thirty-seven-years, a rash of weirdo, dry-land drownings."

"So, whatever's happening is just getting started," Dean sighed.

I didn't blame the tone of frustration. If we didn't finish the case fast, more people would die.

"According to the lore," I started, "there are sighted apparitions of old wrecks all over the world. The _S.S. Violet_ , the _Griffin_ , the _Flying Dutchman_. And almost all of them are death omens."

"So, what happens? You see the ship and then a few hours later, you pucker up and kiss your ass goodbye?" Dean had a way with words.

Sam gave a short nod. "Basically."

"What's the next step?"

"Sam and I have to I.D. the boat," I answered.

"That shouldn't be too hard. I mean, how many three-mast clipper ships have wrecked off the coast?" Dean had no idea...

"I checked that too, actually." Sam didn't look to enthused. "Over one hundred and fifty."

Dean looked at his brother shocked. "Wow."

Sam sighed. "Yeah."

"Crap," I groaned.

"Mm-hm." Sam nodded.

We walked up some concrete steps, moving to the parking spaces by the side of the road. But as we reached the spot where we'd parked, we couldn't see the car anywhere...

Dean looked around confused, trying to find his Baby. "This is where we parked the car, right?"

I started to look around as well. "I thought so."

"Where's my car?" He was calm now, but I could hear it in Dean's tone, he was getting worked up.

"Did you feed the meter?" Sam asked.

That one question pushed Dean over the edge as he answered in a panicked voice. "Yes, I fed the meter." He turned to his brother and I. "Where's my car? Somebody stole my car?!" he yelled, ready to rip someone to shreds.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Sam grabbed him before Dean could do something stupid. "Calm down. Dean-"

"I am calmed down!" Dean insisted, with a raised voice. Clearly, he wasn't calm. "Somebody stole my ca-" He began hyperventilating. Bending over, he tried to calm himself, clutching his knees.

"Hey, Dean." I hurried over to his side, resting a hand on his back. "Dean breath. Okay? Deep breaths."

"Take it easy." Sam stood on his other side. "Take it easy."

"The '67 Impala? Was that yours?"

All three of us looked up to glare at the person walking towards us.

"Bela." Sam glared.

"I'm sorry." She looked so smug. "I had that car towed."

"You what?!"

I placed my hand on Dean's shoulder, turning so I could face him. "Stay calm. We're in public," I muttered.

Bela shrugged. "Well, it was in a tow-away zone."

"No, it wasn't!" Dean snapped.

She grinned at him then. "It was when I finished with it."

Stepping in front of Dean, I glared at Bela. "What are you doing here?"

"A little yachting," she answered flippantly.

"You're Alex," Sam realised. "You're working with that old lady."

I groaned, "You're conning her. Pretending to be some kind of psychic that can talk to her niece.

"Gert's a dear old friend." Bela looked to me, still so smug and proud of herself. "There's a lot of lovely old women up and down the eastern seaboard. I sell them charms, perform séances so they can commune with their dead cats."

"You're full of crap. Nothing you do is real. You're lying to them."

"The comfort I provide them is very real," she argued, turning to leave.

Sam shook his head at her, disgusted. "How do you sleep at night?"

Turning back around, she answered. "On silk sheets, rolling naked in money. Really, Sam. I'd expect the attitude from them," she gestured to Dean and I, "but you?"

"You shot me," he reminded her, not holding back the distaste in his voice.

She just rolled her eyes at him. "I barely grazed you." She did have a point, but that didn't make it right. Looking to Dean, she spoke again, "Cute. But a bit of a drama queen, yeah?"

He didn't answer her though, instead turned the conversation back to the case. "You do know what's going on around here. This ghost-ship thing, it is real."

"I'm aware. Thanks for telling Gert the case wasn't solved, by the way." She didn't even care that people were actually dying, or going to die.

"Unlike you, we're not here to get rich. We're here to save people."

" _Please_. Always so noble. You haven't changed a bit, Elizabeth."

"Neither have you."

"Look... just stay out of my way before you cause any more trouble," she told the three of us. "And I'd get to that car if I were you. Before they find the arsenal in the trunk." She grinned once last time before finally walking off to leave. "Ciao."

"Can I shoot her?" Dean muttered.

"Not in public." Sam shook his head, though the tension in his voice told me he wanted Dean to.

**SPOV**

Instead of staying at a hotel last night, we'd found an abandoned house to squat in. That's why we were late to the scene of yet another crime. By the time we got there, Bela was already questioning the victim's brother as she impersonated a news reporter.

"I am so sorry for your loss, Mr Warren." Her English accent was gone, replaced with a fake American one. "Now, if you could just tell me one more time about the ship your brother saw."

The three of us approached them, Lizzie and I glaring at Bela as Dean spoke to her. "Ma'am, I think this man's been through quite enough. You should go."

She smiled tightly at him, not happy that we were here pushing her way. "But I just have a few more questions."

"No. You don't," I told her firmly.

She glared at me, for a moment before turning back to them man, acting professional once again. "Thank you for your time."

Once she was gone, Dean turned to Peter Warren. "Sorry you had to deal with that. They're like roaches," he said the last part a little loudly so Bela could hear.

Lizzie stepped up to Peter, gesturing for him to follow her as she led him further away from Bela. "We couldn't help but overhear you and the reporter. She said you mentioned a ship. That your brother saw one. Could you tell us about it?"

"It was, uh... like the old Yankee clippers. A smuggling vessel. The rakish topsail, a barkentine rigging. Angel figurehead on the bow."

"That's a lot of detail for a ship your brother saw," I noted.

"My brother and I were night diving. I saw the ship, too."

Lizzie, Dean and I shared a look, knowing what that meant. He saw the ship. Whatever killed his brother and Sheila was coming for him next.

Over Dean's shoulder I caught sight of Bela talking to some police officers, gesturing towards our small group. I nudged Dean, nodding over so he knew where to look. One glance at Bela and we knew what she was doing. She was ratting us out.

"Ah, okay." Lizzie gave Peter a forced polite smile. "Well, if we have any more questions we'll be in touch. Thank you." She nodded before the three of us walked off, leaving Peter.

We hurried without trying to draw attention to ourselves, walking away from the crime scene without getting caught by the police.

**EPOV**

Standing by Baby's trunk, Dean, Sam and I were getting ready for tonight. We still weren't a hundred percent sure what we were dealing with but we had a feeling it was a ghost. A ghost which was going after Peter. We were going to let him die, which meant we had to gear up and get ready for a long night staked out of his house.

"I see you got your car back."

Dean sighed as he turned to look at Bela as she approached us. "You really want to come near me when I got a loaded gun in my hands?"

"Now, now. Mind your blood pressure. Why are you even still here? You have enough to I.D. the boat."

"That guy back there saw the ship," Sam told her.

"Yeah? And?" She just didn't seem to care.

"And, he's going to die, so we have to save him," Sam added.

She smiled, looking to each of us as Dean closed the trunk and we turned to face her. "How sweet."

"You think this is funny?" Dean was trying to keep his cool, but it was clear he didn't like Bela. I didn't blame him. She messed with his car. Even I wasn't stupid enough to do that.

"He's cannon fodder. He can't be saved in time, and you know it," she answered matter-of-factly.

Shaking his head, Sam turned to walk to his door, wanting to leave already, Dean doing the same. But I stayed where I was, facing her off.

I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at her. "You may not care, but we're actually going to try and save him. We're not cold hearted, unlike you."

Her smile slipped. "Yeah, well, I'm actually going to find the ship and put an end to this. But you have fun."

Dean had been about to get in the car when he paused. "Hey, Bela, how'd you get like this, huh? What, did Daddy not give you enough hugs or something?"

We may not have the best past, but I knew which buttons to press if I wanted to upset Bela. Her family had always been a sore subject. So much so, I refused to speak about them to her. There are better ways of making her angry than to hurt her feelings, and like I told her, I'm not cold hearted.

Though she did play it cool, looking to Dean as if his words hadn't hurt. "I don't know. Your daddy give you enough?" she asked as he moved over to stand by us again. "Don't you dare look down your nose at me. You're not better than I am."

"We help people," he insisted.

She just scoffed. "Come on. You do this out of vengeance and obsession. You're a stone's throw from being a serial killer. Whereas I, on the other hand, I get paid to do a job and I do it. So, you tell me, which is healthier?"

I really wanted to hit her for the serial killer comment, but I was holding it in. I knew better than to start something out on the street here anyone could see us. It's not that I couldn't take her, I could. I just didn't want the witnesses.

"Bela, why don't you just leave?" Sam told her, moving to stand by me as well. "We've got work to do."

"Yeah. You're zero for two. Bang-up job so far." She looked so smug, turning around and leaving.

**SPOV**

Dean and I sat in the front of the car while Lizzie sat in the back like usual. We were waiting. Parked outside of Peter's house. It was dark now, and we knew it was only a matter of time before whatever was coming for him got here.

"Anything good?" Dean asked, gesturing to the paper work and files I was going through.

"No, not really," I sighed. "I mean, both brothers are Duke University grads. No criminal record. I mean, a few speeding tickets. They inherited their father's real estate fortune six years ago."

"How much?"

"$112 million."

Lizzie's head appeared between us as she looked to the paper work in my hands. "Holy crap."

Dean gave an impressed whistle. "Nice life."

"Yeah." I nodded. "I mean, nice, clean, above board. So why did they see the ship? Why Sheila, too? What do they all have in common?"

"Maybe nothing," Dean suggested.

Lizzie just shook her head. "There's always something."

"Hey, you!"

The three of us looked over to see Peter standing by his gate, yelling at us. With a shared look between us, we sighed and got. Crossing the road, we knew we'd been caught and it wasn't like we could leave. Not when he could still be killed before the night ended. So it looked like we were going to have to lie our way out of this. Like usual.

"What are you guys doing?! You watching me?"

"Sir, calm down. Please," I called out to him.

But he didn't listen. "You aren't cops! Not dressed like that. Not- not in that crappy car."

Dean slowed down, not looking too happy with the guys comment. "Whoa, hey. No need to get nasty."

Lizzie looked more offended than Dean. "Hey!"

"We are cops, okay?" I insisted. "We're undercover. We're here because we think you're in danger."

"From who?"

 _How are we supposed to explain this...?_ "If you just settle down, we'll talk about it."

Shaking his head, Peter began to back up. "Look, you three just stay away from me!" he yelled as he turned and ran for his car.

"Wait!" I yelled out to him.

"Hey, you moron! We're trying to help you!" Dean called.

As the car drove off, approaching the other gate, it began to cough and shudder before dying altogether.

"That's not good..." Lizzie noted.

"Dean, go get the salt gun," I ordered.

Lizzie chose then to lift her hand and push the gate open seeing at it was locked. It took a second, but the gate pushed open, letting the two of us rush in and towards the car.

Running towards the car we could see another person in there with Peter. But we could see more than that. It appeared that water was running down the windows on the inside as Peter twitched and struggled.

As I reached Peter's window, I tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Peter!"

Lizzie lifted her hand again, squeezing her fist closed, causing the glass of Peter's window to smash and shatter.

The ghost glared at her, reaching out.

"Look out!" Dean called.

Both Lizzie and I ducked quickly, right before Dean took a shot with the salt gun. Hitting the ghost with the rocks, he caused it to disappear.

Once the shot had been made I was up, reaching into the car to grab and help Peter. But as I pulled him away from the steering wheel which he'd been leaning on, it became clear that we were too late. He was dead.

I shook my head at Dean, who then kicked the car out of frustration.

**EPOV**

I sat on the couch leaning against Dean. He was on his phone and I was reading a book. Sam sat at the table, reading as well, all of us sitting in silence. The night had been long and losing Peter had been hard on all of us. It was as if every time we tried to actually do something good, we just ended up doing something wrong.

A knock at the front door had us all look towards it.

Sighing, Dean got up to see who it was. As he turned back to us the look on our face let us know who it was. Unlocking the door, he let Bela in.

She took a few steps before coming to a complete stop. "Dear... God." I rolled my eyes at her as she took the place in. "Are you actually squatting? Charming." She looked repulsed for a moment longer before smiling once more. "So how'd things go last night with Peter?" Our silence was her answer. "That well, huh?"

"If you say 'I told you so', I swear to God I'll start swinging," Dean warned, walking past her.

Looking to each of us, Bela ignored his threat. "Look, I think the four of us should have a heart-to-heart."

Taking his spot on the couch next to me again, Dean didn't even look at her as he spoke, "That's assuming that you have a heart."

"Dean, please... I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I come bearing gifts."

"Such as?" Sam pressed, though really not interested in whatever she has to offer.

"I've ID'd the ship," she stated, unzipping a portfolio file as she stepped up to the table to hand Sam some paper work. "It's the Espírito Santo, a merchant sailing vessel, quite a colourful history. In 1859 a sailor was accused of treason. He was tried aboard ship in a kangaroo court and hanged. He was thirty-seven."

"Come on." I patted Dean's knee and got up to take a look at what she had to offer. He groaned in frustration but followed nonetheless.

"Which would explain the thirty-seven-year cycle," Sam noted.

"Aren't you a sharp tack?" Bela grinned at him "There's a photo of him somewhere..." She flipped through file before pulling out the photo. "Here."

Dean took one look and recognised one of the men in an instant. "Isn't that the customer we saw last night?"

"You saw him?" Bela asked.

"Yeah." Dean gestured to the man in the photo. "That's him, except he was missing a hand."

"His right hand?"

Sam frowned at her, confused and surprised. "How'd you know?"

"The sailor's body was cremated, but not before they cut off his hand to make a hand of glory," she explained.

"A hand of glory? I think I got one of those at the end of my Thai massage last week." Dean chuckled.

I rolled my eyes at him but at the smile time I couldn't keep myself from smiling as well. "The right hand of a hanged man is a serious occult object. It's very powerful."

Bela shrugged. "So they say."

"And officially counts as remains," Dean caught on.

Sam shook his head, still a little confused by the whole thing. "But still, none of this explains why the ghost is choosing these victims." He had a good point.

"I'll tell you why." We all looked to Bela expectantly, waiting for her answer. When she gave it, we weren't exactly pleased. "Who cares? Find the hand, burn it, and stop the bloody thing."

Dean watched her, unsure. "I don't get it. Why are you telling us all of this?"

"Because I know exactly where the hand is."

"Where?"

"At the Sea Pines Museum. It's a macabre bit of maritime history. But I need help."

"What kind of help?"

She simply smiled and I knew then that we weren't going to like whatever she needed us to do.

**DPOV**

"What is taking so long?" Bela called from downstairs. "Sam and Elizabeth are probably already halfway there."

"So not okay with this!" I yelled back as I stood in front of the mirror, pouting at the tie around my neck. It just wouldn't stay straight.

"What are you, a woman? Come down already."

I had no other choice, so with a deep breath I began to walk down the stairs to meet her.

She stood by the table, dressed in a black evening gown with a diamond necklace and a few more jewels. If I didn't hate her so much I'd probably think she look good.

As I stood in front of her I let out a sigh. "All right, get it out. I look ridiculous."

She grinned, looking me up and down. "Not exactly the word I'd use."

"What?"

"You know, when this is over," her eyes locked on to mine, "we should really have angry sex."

I shifted uncomfortably. Folding my arms over my chest, I frowned. "Don't objectify me." She just continued to grin as I nodded to the door. "Let's go.

...

We entered the Sea Pines Museum. Music played, people were gather in small groups chatting away. Everything was so fancy, there was even a champagne fountain in the front entrance. The place was also heavily guarded.

Bela tugged on my arm. "Are you chewing gum?" When I didn't respond, she sighed. "Try to behave as if you've lived this life before, yeah?"

Looking around, I took the gum out of my mouth and moved over to the fountain. Trying to act casual I then pressed the gum to the underside of the fountain before turning to Bela again. She looked appalled, rolling her eyes.

Giving her a thumbs-up, I headed over and let her loop her arm through mine again as we walked into the main room where most of the guests were gathered.

We headed straight for the bar and were only there for a moment or two before Bela spoke up.

"Now I remember why I was so interested in her."

Having no idea what she was going on about, I turned to ask her. But before I could speak, I froze. Entering the room along with Sam and Ms Case, was Liz, and she looked... she looked beautiful.

**EPOV**

I tugged on my dress uncomfortably, feeling so out of place as Sam and I waited for Ms Case to finish with the man letting everyone into the gathering. Seeing as it was a fancy event, Sam was dressed in a tuxedo while I had to borrow a dress for Ms Case's late niece Sheila. Which kind of made me feel worse.

The dress was beautiful, I'd admit that. Red lace that fell all the way to the floor and gathered around my feet. The split ran up my left leg to the middle my thigh. With short cap sleeves, a jewel neckline and a cut-out back the revealed a lot more skin than I was used to. I'd left my hair down, with a few braids that were pulled back by a jewelled pin. My shoes were simple, nude and strappy heels, and the only things I felt right in.

"You look lovely." The older woman smiled at me as she moved over to us again.

I returned her smile, simply out of respect. "I don't compare to you."

She blushed for a moment before looping her arm through Sam's as she looked up at him. "This'll get their tongues wagging, eh, my Adonis?"

Sam let out a sigh as we started for the main room. "Just remember, we're on business."

"Oh, but sometimes business can be pleasure, hmm?" Ms Case slid her free hand up his chest seductively.

"Right." He gave a forced smile.

While I was trying desperately hard not to laugh as we came to a stop and Ms Case began to run her hand over his back possessively, causing him to chuckle nervously.

Turning, Sam grabbed her hands as he smiled down at her. "You know, uh, could you excuse us for a moment?"

"Of course." She nodded.

"I promise I won't keep him," I told her before Sam and I headed over to the bar where Bela and Dean were.

Dean was looking at me as if he were trying to say something but was unable. Taking in his appearance, I almost found myself incapable of words as well. I still liked him in his flannel and leather jacket, but seeing Dean dressed in a tuxedo was a sight to behold.

Not noticing his brother's speechlessness, Sam glared at Bela. "Exactly how long do you expect me to entertain my date?"

"As long as it takes." She shrugged smugly.

"You okay, Dean?" I asked.

He shook his head as if trying to collect his thoughts before he turned to his brother. "Look, there's security all over this place, all right. This is an uncrashable party without Gert's invitation, so-"

Sam cut him off, "We can crash anything, Dean."

Grinning, Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but this is easier and it's a lot more entertaining."

"You know there are limits to what I'll do, right?"

"Don't worry, Sammy." I gave his chest a gentle pat. "I won't let the scary woman hurt you."

"I don't think she's planning on hurting him... much." Dean's grin widened as he chuckled, turning to two glasses of champagne. "Come on." He nodded to Bela before they started to leave. As he passed me, he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "You are by far the most beautiful woman here."

I couldn't help but blush as I looked over my shoulder to watch him walk away with Bela.

A moment later, two glasses appeared in front of Sam as Ms Case appeared. "To us." She smiled.

Sam took one of the glasses and quickly downed the alcohol, which had Ms Case watching him with excitement in her eyes.

Chuckling lightly, I pressed a hand to Ms Case's arm. "Why don't I let you two have some fun while I go look around?" Without waiting for an answer I began to walk off, looking over my shoulder once to see Sam's eyes pleading and begging that I wouldn't leave him.

**Bamby**


	12. Debts and Deals

**DPOV**

"Private security?" Bela asked, standing close as she looked around the room.

"I don't think so. Look at the way they're standing. They're pros," I noted. "Probably state troopers moonlighting."

"Posted to every door, too."

"Yeah, I don't think we're just going to be able to waltz upstairs."

"What do you suggest?"

I sighed, giving her a quick smile to show her how annoying I found her. "I'm thinking."

She watched me expectantly. "Don't strain yourself." When I turned back to her she grinned. "Interesting how the legend is so much more than the man."

"You got any bright ideas, I'm all ears." _Let's see if she can do any better._

"Okay." She shrugged slightly before letting out a groan as she began to fall towards the floor.

I grabbed her quickly, keeping her from hurting herself. "Honey? Honey, are you all right?" I played along, looking around confused until I spotted a waiter. "Waiter! Hi. Uh, my wife has a severe shellfish allergy. Th-ere's no crab in that? Is there?"

He hurried over, shaking his head. "No, sir."

"No?" Reaching up, I grabbed one of the appetizer from the silver tray and shoved it in my mouth as if to test it. "Oh, they're excellent, by the way," I noted, mouth full.

One of the guards approached us then. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Ah... champagne!" I exclaimed. "My wife, she's a lightweight when it comes to the sauce. Is there somewhere I can lay her down till she gets her sea legs back?"

The guard looked around before setting his sight on the stairs. "Follow me."

"Right." I handed to guard Bela's purse. "Thank you." With a grunt, I managed to lift her into my arms and followed the guard upstairs. "Come on, you lush."

...

I placed Bela onto a couch in the room the guard had brought us in. "You think she's a pain in the ass now, try living with her." I grinned as I walked the guard to the door and grabbing Bela's purse from him. "Thank you very much." As I shut the door I turned in time to see Bela sitting up. "Hey maybe next time give me a little heads up with your plan?" I suggested, throwing her bag at her.

She caught it effortlessly. "I didn't want you thinking. You're not very good at that." When all I did was sigh, she smirked. "Oh, look at you. Searching for a witty rejoinder."

"Screw you." I glared.

"Very Oscar Wilde." She teased. Turning I was to leave, only to have her call after me. "Room 235. It's in a locked glass case wired for alarm, I'm sure that won't be a problem."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," I mumbled mockingly, leaving her so I could go get the hand.

**SPOV**

I looked over to see Lizzie standing on the edge of the room, watching. She looked as if she was enjoying herself as much as I was. Which I wasn't enjoying myself at all. This was practically torture.

"Where's Alex and your friend?" Ms Case asked, drawing my attention to her as we danced. "They're missing a great party."

It's not like I couldn't tell her the truth, so I simply shrugged. "Um, ah, I'm sure they're entertaining themselves."

"Oh, naughty." She chuckled. "Then I guess we'll just have to entertain ourselves as well." She slid her hand down my back and squeezed my ass, causing me to jump

"Whoa, uh..." It was like I was constantly uncomfortable around this woman, but all she did was giggle. "Ha, y-you know, Mrs. Case, I-"

She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Ooh, ooh, ooh"

"I'm sorry, Ms Case," I corrected myself. "I don't wanna give you the wrong idea."

She looked up at me with a suggestive smile as her eyes watched my lips. "Call me Gert." Moving, she rested her head on my chest. "You remind me of my late husband... he was shy too. Till we got below deck." Once again, she grabbed my ass.

"Whoa-oa!" I pulled back a little, moving her arms back to my shoulders

"Mm, you're just firm all over, ooh, mmm." She giggled.

**DPOV**

Finding and getting the hand was easy. With it now stash in my pocket, I made my way back to the room where I'd left Bela. Though as I walked around the corner, I bumped straight into the guard that had helped us earlier.

"Whoa. Sorry! It's, uh..." I quickly came up with a lie. "Nature called."

He nodded. "Ah huh."

Changing the subject, I guested to the door that lead to Bela's room. "Thanks for looking after my wife."

"Oh, she's being looked after, all right." He grinned, shaking his head as he walked off.

Having no idea what he meant, I shrugged and continued for the room. Walking in, I found Bela fixing the strap of her dress.

"Any trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," she answered, finishing with her dress. "The hand?" I pulled it from my pocket, showing her the mummified hand. She stepped up, gesturing for it. "May I?"

"No." I didn't even have to think about my answer as I wrapped the hand up in a handkerchief.

"It might be more inconspicuous in my purse," she suggested.

I let out a scoff, knowing all too well how untrustworthy she could be. "Nice try."

"Just trying to be helpful."

"Well, sweetheart, I don't need your kind of help," I told her as I tucked the hand back into my pocket.

**SPOV**

"Man, this is one long song," I noted, a tone of annoyance in my voice.

If Ms Case heard the tone, she ignored it as she breathed in deeply. "I hope it never ends." She snuggled into my chest a little more. "How's the investigation going?"

"These things take time."

"People are talking about the Warren brothers' deaths." She pulled back to look up at me. "Strange. Do you think it's connected to Shelia's?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "Yeah, we think so."

"I think they had it coming, you know. In a Biblical sort of way."

Frowning, confused, I looked down at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know about their father."

"No."

"Come here, I'll whisper it to you," she offered. Before I could protest she pulled my head down so she could whisper in my ear. "People say that the old man didn't die of natural causes."

Grimacing, hating the feel of her hot breath on me, I managed to speak. "Then how?"

Caressing me as she whispered and blew into my ear, answering. "Rumour is the boys did it. Nothing was ever proved, but, uh, people still whisper."

"Okay, okay, okay." I pulled away. "Um, um, so did, did, did Sheila have any connection to them?"

She looked confused. "Well, none that I know of."

"Did Sheila have any kind of tragedy in her life?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, there was. A car accident when she was a teenager."

"What happened?"

"Her car flipped over. She was okay but her cousin Brian was killed," she answered before giving me a curious look. "Why, is that important?"

I couldn't answer, and suddenly found myself unable to come up with a good enough lie. But just then Bela and Dean walked up to us from one way as Lizzie came from the other side.

"Well! Having a nice time?" Bela smiled widely at the elder lady.

"He's delightful!" Ms Case beamed, stepping up to her. She spoke in a low voice which we all managed to hear. "He wants me."

"Oh!" Bela's smile turned into a grin as she looked over at me. I grimaced as Lizzie chuckled and Dean looked surprised. "I'm going to get Gert into a cold shower," Bela offered.

"Great idea." I nodded.

Turning to leave Bela looked over her shoulder at us. "See you at the cemetery."

Dean checked his pocket for a moment before he looked to me. "You stink like sex."

**DPOV**

"You got it, right?" Sam asked the moment the three of us got into the car. "Tell me I didn't get groped all night by Mrs Havisham for nothing."

"I got it..." I assured him before turning, confused. "Mrs Who?"

"Even I don't know that reference," Liz called from the back seat.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Just let me see it."

I gave my pockets a pat, pulling out the wrapped hand. Only as I unwrapped it I found that it wasn't the hand. Instead, it was a small glass bottle with a tiny ship inside.

As angry as I felt about it, I also couldn't help but feel guilty. She'd done it again. She'd tricked us. Now we had no idea where the hand might be, and we had no way to stop the ghost from killing again.

"Well?" Liz popped her head over to take a look, only to freeze. "You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.

"What?" Sam asked, looking to us worriedly.

I held the bottled ship up so he could see it. "I'm gonna kill her."

**EPOV**

In my room at the abandoned house, I mumbled to myself, annoyed. Bela had always been selfish, but this was too much. People were going to die. Over many years. Lots of people. How could someone be as cold as that?

While moving around my room I'd been trying to get the clip of my dress undone, but in my haste and frustration I'd managed to get my hair caught. One pull and I felt the tugging pain all girls hated.

"Ow!" I hissed.

A moment later there was a knock on my door. "Liz? You okay?"

I froze as I looked over at the door. "Yeah." _I'm going to hate myself for this…_ "Can you... can you just come in here for a moment?"

Dean didn't wait before stepping in, seeing me standing with my hands at the back of my dress, holding the clip so my hair wouldn't pull. "Uh... you okay?"

"No." I pouted. "Unbutton me?"

He grinned, moving forward. "That's gotta be one of the sexiest things you could say."

"Shut up, Dean. Now is not the time." I rolled my eyes and turned so he stood behind me. "Just help. My hairs caught."

Without saying another word, he raised his hands to help me. I felt the warm familiar touch of his skin brushing against mine as he carefully worked to get me unstuck. The longer it took, the less unsexy the moment became.

I felt my cheeks burn and my eyes close as I leaned back into him slightly.

When I was finally free he didn't step back or let go. Instead he grabbed each side of the dress and slowly began to slide it off my shoulders. I held the dress in place, covering myself as he took the pin out of my hair before brushing my long locks over my shoulder.

My heart was beating hard in my chest, stomach flipping with butterflies.

His lips pressed against my shoulder and I was lost. Completely gone. Dean always made me melt away. Each time we'd had sex in the past we'd both learnt how to make the other person tick. Each time Dean got better, and each time it got harder to stop sleeping with him.

It had been months since we'd touched in this way. Hell, I hadn't even hugged him... actually, I couldn't remember if I'd _ever_ hugged him.

If we were to do this now I knew it would make everything harder, make losing him hurt more. I'd have to end whatever this is, again, and it would hurt. Like hell. Or as close to hell as I can get without actually going there.

Which is why I'd managed to open my eyes and pull myself away.

"We can't, Dean."

After a pause, he sighed, "I know."

At first, I thought he was agreeing with me, until I realised the tone of his voice meant something else.

Turning to him, I frowned. "You know what?"

"Casey, that demon I was trapped with, she told me some things," he admitted, looking away from me guilty. "She told me about a deal. About... about a deal your mum made."

My heart sunk. "Dean-"

"That's why you left, right?"

Looking away, unable to meet his gaze, I slowly nodded. "Yes."

"You're going to be okay, Liz." He stepped closer, his hand cupping my cheek. "You and Sammy will have each other, and you'll be okay."

"No, we won't," I sighed. "Why'd she even tell you?"

He hesitated a moment before lowering his hand as he answered, "Because the deal _I_ made didn't bring you back."

I froze. "But I though you saved both-"

"I meant to. I offered my soul for both you and Sam. And I thought I'd saved you both until the demon told me..." He took a few steps back as he worked on going on. "She said one of you had already been brought back."

"Then how? How am I here?"

"I don't know." He shook his head, taking a step closer again. "But it has something to do with the deal your mum made."

I had no idea what that meant. How could a deal that was made almost twenty years ago still be keeping me alive now? What had my mum really asked for? Would I always be like this? Whatever _this_ is... was there more to the deal? Were there other things I don't know about?

Questions muddled my mind, making it hard for me to think about anything other than the endless possibilities of what might be.

"Liz." Dean's hands grabbed my shoulders as he looked into my eyes with his own worried ones. "Liz, you're okay. You're fine."

As I refocused on him I slowly shook my head. "I'm nowhere near fine."

**DPOV**

I stood by the fireplace downstairs, looking at the flames as Sam sat at the table reading through the books, trying to find a way for us to still finish the case and keep other people from dying.

Liz was upstairs. I'd left her in her room. She'd told me she wanted to be alone, and so I'd given her what she asked for.

But I hadn't stopped thinking about our conversation since I settled in front of the fire. I was wondering if telling her I knew had been a clever idea. Maybe I should have just kept it from her a little longer. Maybe I shouldn't have told her about the fact I hadn't brought her back either. I felt extremely guilty now.

Luckily for me, my eyes caught sight of the bottles ship, causing my thoughts to turn towards Bela. As I sat there looking at the object, my guilt began to turn to anger.

"You know what, you're right. I'm not gonna kill her. I think slow torture's the way to go."

Sam sighed, closing his book and getting up. "Dean, look, you gotta relax."

"Relax? Oh yeah, yeah, I'll relax. I can't believe she got another one over on us!"

"You."

I turned to him, unsure if I'd heard correctly. "What?"

"I... I mean, she got one over... on you... not us," he noted.

I paused, thinking it over, knowing he was right. When he shrugged, I snapped. "Thank you! Sam. Very helpful."

A knock on the front door had us both turn just as someone called out from outside. "Hello? Could you open up?"

Sam and I shared a look, knowing it was Bela. Hurrying over, we let her in. Not to help her. No, it's easy to hurt her if she's not on the other side of a door.

Despite our pissed glares, she looked to each of us as she spoke. "Just let me explain," she pleaded.

**EPOV**

I sat at the table facing Bela as Sam leaned against the fire place, glaring at her and Dean leaned over to her, looking extremely pissed. I knew they wanted nothing more than to rip her to shreds. But we couldn't. No, we'd agreed to at least hear her out first.

"I sold it," she admitted. "I had a buyer lined up as soon as I knew it existed. "

Dean, furious, pulled back and walked behind her, gesturing a finger gun at her, pretending to shoot. Moving, he came to sit next to me as Sam spoke.

"So the whole reason for us going to the charity ball was...?"

"I needed a cover," she answered. "You were convenient."

I shook my head as her. "If you sold it, buy it back."

"It's halfway across the ocean. I can't get it back in time."

Dean leaned forward, taking in the last part of her words. "In time for what?"

When she looked down guiltily I knew something was up. I knew something was wrong.

"What's going on with you, Bela? You look like you've seen a ghost," Sam noted.

Then it hit me. "You saw the ship."

Dean looked from me to Bela. "You what?" He paused a moment before shaking his head. "Wow, you know, I- I knew you were an immoral thieving con artist bitch, but just when I thought my opinion of you couldn't get any lower-"

She cut him off. "What are you talking about?"

"We figured out the spirit's motive." Sam came over to show her a picture he'd found. "This is the captain of our ship. The one who hung our ghost boy."

"So?" She shrugged.

"So, they were brothers," Sam explained. "Very Cain and Abel. So now our spirit, he's going after a very specific kind of target. People who've spilled their own family's blood. See first there was Sheila who killed her cousin in the car accident, and the Warren brothers, who murdered their father for the inheritance. And now you."

Bela pulled back, stunned. "Oh my God."

"So who was it, Bela?" Dean stood again, moving to lean over her once more. "Hmm? Who'd you kill? Was it Daddy? Your little sis, maybe?"

"It's none of your business."

"No?" He nodded. "Right. Well, have a nice life. You know, whatever's left of it." He gave her a hard pat on the back before turning to grab his jacket and leave. "Sam, Liz, let's go."

"You can't just leave me here," Bela exclaimed.

But Dean didn't care. "Watch us."

"Please." Bela turned to Sam and me. "I need your help."

"Our help?" Dean scoffed. "Now how could a couple of serial killers possibly help you?"

"Okay, that was a bit harsh, I admit it, but it doesn't warrant a death sentence."

"That's not why you're gonna die." Sam's tone was tense. He no longer hated her. No, he just didn't care. "What'd you do, Bela?"

She shook her head at him. "You wouldn't understand. No one did." She looked to each of us, realising she wasn't going to get any help from us. "Never mind. I'll just do what I've always done, I'll deal with it myself." Turning, she began to leave.

"You do realise you just sold the one thing that could save your life," Dean noted.

Slowly, frustrated, she turned to him. "I'm aware."

"Well," Sam sighed, "maybe not the only thing."

...

I could not believe I was standing in a cemetery with the Winchesters, agreeing to help save Bela. Yes, saving people is what we do, but her? She was more than willing to sacrifice Sam not too long ago.

_Sometimes I hate being the better person..._

A full moon hung above us. Sam stood by a grave where he placed five candles, a pentagram, a bowl that he'd poured some kind of red liquid into. There were a few other ingredients, but I was focussing on our surroundings more than I was focussing on him. The last thing we wanted was a surprise attack by our ghost.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Bela asked, huddling in her jacket.

Leaning against a tombstone next to her, a gun in his hands just like myself, Dean shook his head. "Almost definitely not."

Thunder crashed above us as the wind began to pick up and rain began to pour.

"Sammy!" I called out. "You might wanna get to work."

Grabbing his father's journal, he began to read.

" _Aziel, Castiel, Lamisniel, Rabam,_

_Ehrley, et balam, ego vos conuro,_

_per deum verum, per deum vivum,_

_cuivos cuiaves eos supermontes,_

_et per eum, qui adam, et avum formovit,_

_Et per eum..._ "

I was aware of him well more Latin, but my attention was once again turned to our surroundings as the rain began to get heavier, the wind stronger.

"Stay close!" Dean told Bela.

"Behind you!"

At the sound of Bela's yell, Dean and I both turned to see the ghost appear. Before we could react, it grabbed Dean and threw him away. Dean landed hard against a tombstone, letting out a pained grunt on impact.

I placed myself between Bela and the ghost, raising my gun to shot it. Only, he flung the gun out of my hand, leaving me defenceless. As he reached for me, I knew I didn't have many choices here. So, without really think my actions through, I used my own abilities to push him away, to keep him from Bela.

Of course, that just pissed him off. Then, he disappeared.

"Elizabeth?" Bela stepped closer to me, her voice shaking from the cold but mainly from fear. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't-"

Suddenly I was flying through the air as the ghost reappeared. He had an opening and didn't hesitate. As I crashed against the same tombstone as Dean, landing beside him, I looked over in time to see the ghost touch Bela's cheek.

Her eyes went wide as she tried to breath, but instead she began to cough up water. The spirit just watched as she fell to her knees.

Dean and I got up and moved over to her as quickly as we could.

"Sammy, read faster!" Dean yelled.

Bela continued to cough up the water, struggling to stay alive. But I could see, as time went by, it was getting worse and harder.

Out of nowhere, the ran slowed before stopping entirely. Surrounding us was a sound of creaking wood, like an old ship.

The spirit turned to see another standing behind him. It was his brother.

"You... hanged me," he sneered.

The other brother looked to him with sad and guilt filled eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Your own brother."

"I'm so sorry!"

The evil ghost charged towards his brother. As he crashed into him they both yelled and screamed as they dissolved into water. before disappearing completely.

The moment they're gone, Bela stops coughing, no longer in danger of death.

**DPOV**

We were in the living room of the abandoned house, packing our things, when Bela walked in without a single knock. We turned to look at her for a moment before getting back to work.

"You should learn to lock your doors. Anyone could just barge in." She grinned.

"Anyone just did." Sam sighed, "Did you come to say goodbye or thank you?"

"I've come to settle affairs." She reached into her bag, pulling out three stacks of cash. "Giving the spirit what he really wanted, his own brother. Very clever, Sam. So here." She tossed a stack to each of us. "It's ten thousand. That should cover it." When we looked from the money to her, she shrugged. "I don't like being in anyone's debt."

"So ponying up ten grand is easier for you than a simple thank you?" As she smiled simply at me, I scoffed, shaking my head. "You're so damaged."

Her smile grew. "Takes one to know one. Goodbye lads, Elizabeth." With that, she turned and left.

"She's got style. You gotta give her that," Sam noted.

I nodded, looking down at my cash. "I suppose."

Grinning, watching me with the money, Sam shook his head. "You know, Dean, we don't know where this money's been."

"No." I took his stack, with a grin of my own. "But I know where it's going. I gave his chest a pat and moved back over to my things, laughing.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Here." She handed me her money. "You keep it. I don't want anything from her." She sighed and pushed off the couch, grabbing her things and walking out the door.

Shrugging, I stashed all three stacks into my bag. "Okay, let's go."

**EPOV**

It was dark out as we drove along the road. Dean was driving as usual, Sam was looking down at the map, while I rested my head against the window, looking out at the night sky.

"Seriously?" Sam turned to his older brother. "Atlantic City?"

"Hell yeah!" Dean grinned. "Play some roulette. Always bet on black."

I'd heard worse ideas before.

There was a pause before Dean spoke again, his grin gone. "Hey listen, I've been doing some thinking. Um... I want you to know I understand why you did it. I understand why you went after the crossroads demon." Sam simply sighed as Dean went on. "You know, situation was reversed, I guess I'd've done the same thing. I mean I'm not blind, I see what you're going through with this whole deal, me going away and all that. But you're gonna be okay." He looked to me through the rear-view mirror. "Both of you are."

"You think so?" Sam asked, tone flat.

"Yeah, you'll keep hunting. You know, you live your life. You're stronger than me. You are," Dean told him. Sam just cleared his throat. "You'll get over it. But I want you to know I'm sorry, I'm sorry. For putting you through all this, I am."

"You know what, Dean? Go screw yourself."

I turned away from the brothers looking out my window. I hated Dean saying all of this, sure. But I didn't want a fight to break out.

"What?" Dean sounded genuinely confused.

"I don't want an apology from you," Sam assured him. "And by the way, I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself. Lizzie can take care of herself. We don't need you telling us that."

"Oh, well, excuse me."

Ignoring Dean, Sam went on, his voice rising, "So would you please quit worrying about us? I mean that's the whole problem in the first place. I don't want you to worry about me, Dean, I want you to worry about you! I want you to give a crap that you're dying!" he snapped.

I looked over to see Dean's only response was an annoying grin.

Sam shook his head at his brother. "So, that's it? Nothing else to say for you?"

"I think maybe I'll play craps." Dean shrugged.

Sam looked to his brother, outraged, but didn't say anything more. Dean concentrated on the road, also staying silent. While I turned to the window again. The tension into the car was thick, and uncomfortable and seemingly never ending.

**Bamby**


	13. Neck on the Line

**DPOV**

Sam, Liz and I walked around the corner of an alleyway, flashlights in hand. Walking into the back alley of the abandoned buildings, we came to a pool of blood. Hurrying over, following the trail, we found a man lying on the floor, bleeding to death, his hand pressing to his neck where he'd been bitten.

"Hey, hey." Sam started as we knelt by the man. "Don't worry. We're gonna call you some help, okay?"

"Where is she?" I asked. "Where'd she go?"

The man lifted his hand, gesturing down the alley.

I gave Sam and Liz a nod, telling them to stay with the man while I headed off to find the monster that had did this to him and countless other victims.

There was some distance between the others and myself as I came to a stop in another alley way. Looking around, I had no idea which way to go in order to find the vampire. Willing to do whatever it takes, I lifted my arm and pulled my sleeve up before pressing the blade of my machete against my skin. Slowly and carefully, I cut myself, watching as blood began to drip to the floor.

"Smell that?!" I called out. "Come and get it!"

A woman, no older than Sam and Liz, came around the corner then. Only she wasn't a woman. She was a vampire.

_Right on time._

Grinning smugly, I nodded at her. "That's right. Come on. I smell good, don't I? I taste even better."

She approached cautiously, looking to the machete in my hand.

Looking from her to my blade, I shrugged, dropping the weapon. "Come on! Free lunch!"

Charging at me, she grabbed my arms and lunged at my neck. I felt her teeth slide into my skin, causing a pain to shoot through me. Fighting against the pain, I managed to pull out a syringe and plunge it into her neck, emptying the contents into her system.

Coughing and shaking, she looked to me with wide eyes before she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Panting, I gave a little cheer. "Whoo!"

The sound of footsteps approaching had me look over to see Sam and Liz walking around the corner. Their eyes landed on the woman and then on my neck. A frown slowly grew on Sam's face as Liz rushed forward.

"You okay?" she asked tentatively, her hands grabbing my arm to check my cut before she looked to my bite.

"I'm fine," I assured her, gently pulling her hands back. Seeing Sam still frowning at me, I shrugged. "What?"

"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?"

I shook my head, not worried at all. The job was done, that's what mattered. "That's just chum in the water. Worked, didn't it?"

**EPOV**

While I stood with the brothers, looking down at the tied up, blonde vampire sitting in front of me, I vibrated with an internal rage and a shameful fear. I hated vampires. No one- except for Bobby, maybe- knew how much I hated vampires, and at the same time they terrified me.

Despite all the things I had to do in this line of work, vampires were the worst monsters I'd ever come across. Vampires, and demons. But then, they were the things that ripped my family away from me.

The vampire began to stir as she woke, slowly looking up at the three of us.

Dean leaned over her. "You with us?" Her only response was to fight and struggle against her bonds. "Oh, yeah, sorry. You're not going anywhere."

"Where's your nest?" Sam got straight to the point.

She looked up at him, confused. "What?"

"Your nest," Dean pressed. "Where you and your bloodsucking pals hang out."

She looked to each of us, seeming distressed, but it was an act. "I don't know what you're talking about." The brothers looked to each other as they rolled their eyes. "Please! I don't feel good."

Turning around, Dean grabbed a syringe of the table behind him, showing it to her. "Yeah, well, you're gonna feel a hell of a lot worse if we give you another shot of dead man's blood."

Shaking her head, she looked to the needle with fear. "Just let me go."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, you know we can't do that."

"I'm telling you the truth!" she exclaimed. "I'm just... I took something. I'm freaking out! I don't know what's going on!"

Shifting on the spot, Sam looked to her confused now. "You took something?"

"Yes! I can't come down. I just want to come down."

Leaning forward so he was at eye level with her, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Lucy. Please. Just let me go."

"All right, Lucy, how about this?" Sam started, his caring and nice voice in place of his hunter one. "If you tell us what happened, we'll let you go."

"You will? " she asked, looking over to Dean and me.

I looked to Dean, pissed. He nodded in an obviously insincere way while also offering a quick smile to the monster who then turned to me.

 _You have got to be kidding me._ Sighing, I nodded, though didn't smile.

Taking a deep breath, she began to speak. "Uh, I don't really... um, it's, it's not that clear. I was at Spider."

"Spider?" Dean asked.

"The club, on Jefferson," she explained. "And there was this guy. He was buying me drinks."

Her story had my interest. If this guy was probably a vampire as well if he's the reason she turned. "What did he look like?"

"He was old, like thirty." She shrugged. The look on both the brother's faces didn't go unmissed by me. "He had brown hair, a leather jacket. Uh, Deacon or Dixon or something. Said he was a dealer. He had something for me."

There was a look in Dean's eyes as if he just realised what I'd figured out. "Something?"

"Something new. 'Better than anything you've ever tried'. He put a few drops in my drink."

"Was the drug red and thick?" When she nodded to his question Dean looked over to Sam and me as Sam shook his head in disbelief while my blood began to boil at the thought. "Well, genius move there. That was vampire blood he dosed you with."

Lucy turned to Dean sharply. "What?"

"Yeah, you just took a big steamin' shot of the nastiest virus out there."

"You're crazy! He gave me roofies or something!" Turning away she now looked to Sam again. "The next thing I know, we're at his place, and he says he's gonna get me something to eat, just wait. But I get so hungry."

"So you busted out?" Sam asked, but we all knew the answer.

She nodded. "But it won't wear off, whatever he gave me?"

"Let me guess," I sighed. "Lights are too bright. You can hear _everything_. Sunshine stings."

"Yeah." She nodded again. "And smells. And I can hear blood pumping."

Dean shook his head. "Well, I hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but your blood's never pumping again."

"Not mine." She looked to each of us. "Yours. I can hear a heart beating from half a block away." This was no act, she really had no idea what was happening to her. "I just want it to stop."

"All right, listen, Wavy Gravy," Dean started. "It's not going to stop. You've already killed two people, almost three."

"No, I couldn't," she sobbed. "No! I was hallucinating!"

"You weren't," I snapped, getting impatient. "You killed them, okay? You've left a trail of corpses for us to follow."

She shook her head, crying. "No. No, it wasn't real! It was the drug! Please! Please, you have to help me!"

A hand on my arm caught my attention. I looked to see Dean gesturing for me to follow as Sam started for the next room. The two of us were right behind him as Lucy continued to yell out to us.

Ignoring her, Sam sighed as he turned to Dean and I. "Poor girl."

"We don't have a choice."

"Dean's right. She's a vampire, we're hunters. If we don't do this she'll just keep killing." There was no emotion in my voice. I was being cold, I knew that. But vampires seemed to bring out the worst in me. "If you guys won't-"

I'd been about to turn to leave when Dean grabbed my arm again, stopping me. Looking up into his eyes I could see he was still in hunter mode, but I could also see wonder. The change in my attitude had him questioning what was up with me.

But instead of asking, he gave a short nod. "I'll do it."

Letting go of my arm, he walked into the room again. I watched as Lucy struggled against her ties, begging for him to let her go. But Dean simply grabbed the machete, and with moves he'd used many times before, swiftly decapitated her.

Her head landed on the ground with a thump.

Now that she was dead, I turned for the door and walked out, needing to calm myself down.

**DPOV**

Sam and I left the bar Lucy had told us about. The place was a buzz, so you'd think we would have found something, but no. We hadn't.

"That was a big, fat waste of time," I noted, frustrated, as we moved towards Liz who was leaning against a light post.

Sam sighed. "Look, three blondes have gone missing, including Lucy, all last sighted here. I'm telling you, Dean, this is the hunting ground."

As we reached Liz, she lifted her hand to point across the street. "Found him."

Looking over to where she was pointing, Sam and I could see a couple walking away from the bar and towards an alley. A thirty something man in a leather jacket and a young blonde woman.

I nodded. "Let's do this."

Pushing off the post, Liz turned to look at Sam and I. "We do this, I'm the one that gets to kill him." She left no room for questions, comments or arguments, because before we could speak she was already walking off.

...

Coming around the corner, we found the couple just in time as the man was about to feed the woman some blood from a dropper. Her mouth was open and ready, tongue sticking out. With a smile on her face, she was just as aware as Lucy had been.

Liz rushed forward first, grabbing the guy's arm and clocking him straight in the jaw.

"Hey!" the woman exclaimed.

But Sam and I were right there. "Get out of here. Go! Go!" Sam told her as he led her to the alley entrance while I turned to Liz.

Liz had been holding up her own against the vampire, but that didn't mean I was going to just stand there a leave her to it. So, without really thinking it through, I grabbed the vampire's jacket from behind and pulled him away from Liz before shoving him towards a wall.

He looked from her to me and right when I thought he was going to put up a fight, he made a break for it.

_What the...?_

"Come on!" Liz grabbed my arm before she started after the vampire, Sam and I right behind her.

Running down the alley, we came to a corner and rounded it as fast as we could. But as we made it to the other side we were made to come to a stop at the sight of Gordon Walker and Kubrick- one of the assholes who'd tried to kill Sam- standing right in front of us.

Gordon lifted his gun and I knew right then and there, he was going to kill all three of us.

But before he could pull the trigger, his gun flew across the alley way. That's when all eyes turned to Liz.

_Shit._

**EPOV**

Gordon lifted his gun and before I realised what I was doing, I lifted my hand and sent the weapon flying across the alley.

In an instant, everyone turned to me. The brothers and I knew what this meant. I'd just shown Gordon that Sam wasn't the only 'psychic'. I might as well have screamed it out loud, because now, Gordon was going to kill me too.

Kubrick acted quickly, lifting his own gun and aiming it right at me.

"No!" Dean's arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me along with him until we were covered by a car in the alley.

Gun shots followed as Sam, Dean and I hid, moving to get to a wall in front of the car, so we had more cover. More shots started and I knew Gordon would have grabbed his gun back. Things weren't looking too good for us...

Looking around the corner briefly, Dean then turned to Sam and I, panting, "All right. Run. I'll draw them off."

"What?! No, you're crazy!"

I shook my head. "Sam's right. You won't make it."

But Dean ignored both of us as he darted out and into the line of fire, running across the alley and over to another car which he jumped onto before jumping over a fence. Kubrick ran after him, hot on his trail.

"Come on." Sam grabbed my hand as he got up but stayed low.

Every fibre in my being was screaming to stay, to go after Dean, to make sure he was okay. But at the same time, I didn't want to leave Sam, not if there was a chance Gordon would get him.

With a reluctant nod, I let Sam pull me along as we got out of there as fast as we could.

**SPOV**

I paced in the room. We were staying in an abandoned hotel, our room filled with old mattresses and a few other furniture pieces. I guess deciding to stay off the grid had been a good idea, of Gordon might have found us earlier...

The door to the room opened as Dean walked in.

Having been sitting on a mattress on the floor, Lizzie pulled herself up at the sight of my brother. "Where the hell were you?!"

He seemed completely unconcerned by our worry. "Yeah. Sorry, I stopped for a slice."

I shook my head at him. "Nice move you pulled back there, Dean, running right at the weapons!"

"Well, what can I say? I'm a bad-ass." he grinned, tugging his jacket off. "So, I guess Gordon's out of jail."

"You think?" Lizzie rolled her eyes at him.

That reminded me of the million questions I'd been stewing on. "You know, how the hell did he know where to find us?"

It took a second before Dean's grin slipped as he seemed to realise something. "That bitch." Pulling his cell out of his pocket, he dialled in a number before putting it on speaker. "Hi, Bela."

" _Hello, Dean_." We could hear the smile in her voice.

"Question for you," Dean started as he began to pace. "When you called me yesterday, it wasn't to thank me for saving your ass, was it?"

Without hesitating, she answered as if there weren't a care in the world for her. " _No. Gordon Walker paid me to tell him where you were_."

Her answer had Dean pause. "Excuse me?"

She laughed lightly. " _Well, he had a gun on me. What else was I supposed to do?_ "

Lizzie took the phone out of Dean's hand then. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you could have picked up the phone and given us a heads up?!" she yelled. "Let us know that a psychotic _killer_ was headed our way?!"

" _I did fully intend to call, I just got a bit side-tracked._ " Bela just didn't seem to care.

"He tried to kill us!" Dean and Lizzie yelled at the same time, speaking into the phone.

" _I'm sorry. I didn't realise it was such big deal. After all, there are three of you and one of him_."

Dean shook his head at the phone. "There were two of them."

" _Still, they were outnumbered-_ "

Cutting her off, Dean took the phone back from Liz. "Bela, if we make it out of this alive, the first thing I'm gonna do is kill you."

The smile in her voice was gone as Bela spoke, " _You're not serious._ "

"Listen to his voice, Bela. You think he's serious?" Lizzie didn't even give her a chance to respond before she took the phone from Dean again and hung up.

**EPOV**

Sam was standing by the window, keeping an eye out while Dean and I sat at the table. Dean was cleaning his gun while I sharpened a machete.

Looking over to the younger Winchester, I made sure he was preoccupied before I leaned over to Dean and spoke in a faint voice so only he could hear me. "Don't ever run off like that again, okay?"

A grin played on the corner of his lips. "You worried about me, Liz?"

"Yes," I snapped. "Of course I am. I care about you, Dean."

He stopped working on his gun and turned to me. "I couldn't sit there and do nothing. You and Sam needed a way out, I gave it to you."

"You could have died."

He shrugged. "I thought it was pretty obvious by now. If I have to die to keep you and Sam safe, then I'll do it."

"And I thought it was pretty clear that Sam and I don't want you dying for us," I countered, feeling an anger start to bubble inside me.

I didn't have much of a family for the past eight years. Yes, I had Bobby, Ellen, Jo and Ash, but sticking around wasn't exactly something I was known for. The longest I was ever at the Roadhouse was a month or two. With Bobby, I was stuck with him for a bit longer because he didn't like the idea of a minor hunting on their own. But once I was eighteen I tried not to stay in one place too long.

Dean and Sam, they meant a lot to me and if anything were to happen to them I wasn't sure if I'd be able to handle it. Sam was the brother I never had, and Dean... well he was a little more complicated.

"Guys, that vampire's still out there," Sam noted.

Pulling he gaze from me, Dean turned to his brother. "First things first."

"Gordon," I finished.

"When we find him, or if he finds us." Dean shrugged. "Well I'm just saying he's not leaving us a whole lot of options."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know. We've got to kill him."

That surprised me. Sam was always the one to give people chances. To decide to kill Gordon, just like that, and to say the words so calmly... it just didn't feel like a thing Sam would do, say, or even think.

"Really?" Dean sounded just as surprised as I felt. "Just like that? I thought you would have been like, 'No, we can't, he's human, it's wrong'," he spoke the last part with a mocking tone, mimicking Sam's voice.

Sam shook his head. "No, I'm done. I mean, Gordon's not gonna stop until we're dead. Or until he is."

Dean phone began to ring then. He picked it up off the table and took one look at the caller ID before scowling as he answered it angrily. "What?!"

" _I don't like it when people hold grudges against me, and more to the point, I'd rather you didn't kill me. So, I went ahead and found Gordon's exact location for you,_ " Bela spoke quickly, clearly trying to save herself.

"You're a hundred miles away. How the hell did you-"

She cut Dean off, going on. " _Hello? Purveyor of powerful occult objects. I used a talking board to contact the other side._ "

I sighed. "Get to the point, Bela."

" _Warehouse. Two stories, riverfront, neon sign outside._ "

"Thanks." Dean went to hang up when her voice stopped him.

" _One more thing. The spirit had a message for you. 'Leave town, run like hell, and whatever you do, don't go after Gordon.' For whatever that's worth._ " With that, she hung up, leaving the three of us to wonder what the hell that meant.

**DPOV**

Sam was ahead as Liz and I followed him down a flight of stairs, a trail of blood lead us further and further into the warehouse. We'd come to a furnished room where the vampire knelt on the ground in front of two bodies that hung from the roof by their tied wrists.

Once we were off the stairs I spotted a knife on the table and silently told Liz and Sam that I was grabbing it before I did just that.

"Go ahead," the vampire spoke, keeping his back to us. "Do it. Kill me."

"What happened here?" Sam asked, keeping the Colt aimed at the vampire.

"Gordon Walker." The tension in the vampire's voice let us know how he felt about the hunter. "I never should have brought a hunter here. Never," he sighed, getting to his feet. "I just..." He slowly turned to us. "I just wanted some kind of revenge. So stupid, exposing him to my family."

I shook my head at him. "Oh, yeah, you're such a family man."

"You don't understand."

"And we don't care." Liz glared at him.

But he just ignored her. "I was desperate! You ever felt desperate?" _Yes_... "I've lost everyone I ever loved. I'm staring down eternity alone. Can you think of a worse hell?"

"Well, there's Hell." I couldn't keep the attitude out of my voice.

"I wasn't thinking." The vampire's voice shook. "I just ... I didn't care anymore. Do you know it's like when you just don't give a damn? It's like... it's like being dead already. So just go ahead. Do it."

The whole time he was talking, I couldn't help but relate. Everything he said, it's how I felt when Liz and Sam had died. It's why I made the deal in the first place. I didn't want to be alone, just like he hadn't...

While the vampire had been talking Sam had inched closer and closer to the bodies. Now standing next to them, he turned to Liz and myself. "Guys. Head wasn't cut off, it was _ripped_ off. With someone's bare hands."

Liz- who still stood next to me- turned to the vampire. "What did you do? Dixon, what did you do to Gordon?" When the vampire simply began to silently cry, refusing to answer, Liz stepped closer to him. "What did you do?!"

Slowly, he turned to look down at her. "I turned him."

There was a short pause as we all realised what this meant. Gordon was hard to beat while he was human. How were we supposed to beat him now? Vampires were difficult while at their worst, but Gordon was a well-trained hunter and knew his pray. We didn't stand a chance.

Liz lifted her machete so fast none of us had a chance to react before she cut the blade through the air and decapitated the vampire in one swift move.

**Bamby**


	14. All Bite

**SPOV**

The hotel door closed as Dean came in, pulling off his jacket, clearly as frustrated as I was. "Man, I must have checked three dozen motels, empty buildings, warehouses..."

"Yeah, me too," I sighed. "Big city."

"It's like a giant haystack, and Gordon's a deadly needle." Moving to the bathroom, he washed his face before going on. "We're running out of daylight. Won't have the sun slowing him down."

"Yeah, he'll be unstoppable." I shook my head, not feeling to confident. Looking away from the book I'd been reading, I turned to my brother. "Hey, uh, give me your phone."

He stopped in his tracks, looking to me confused. "What for?"

"Well, if Gordon knows our cell numbers he can use the cell signal to track us down," I explained as I pulled the SIM cards out of Lizzie's and my phones.

"Oh, yeah." Nodding, Dean handed his over. "Thanks." Taking a seat across from me, he looked around the room, confused once more. "Where's Liz?"

"She's out getting new phones." I shrugged, standing up.

Dean's head snapped in my direction. "By herself?" The tone of worry, anger and disappointment smothered his words.

"Yes, Dean. By herself." Sighing, I dropped the three phones onto the ground. "Do you really think either of us can control what she does?" I asked before stomping on the phones, breaking them to the point where they could no longer be used.

I worried about Lizzie, a lot- especially seeing as Gordon knew she had abilities like me and he was now a vampire. But when she'd decided to leave, I knew there was no point trying to stop her. She may be smaller, but she'd kicked my ass a few times- kicked Dean's as well. If she wanted to go, there was no stopping her.

Shaking his head, Dean stood. "Stay here."

Turning away from the phone, I frowned, wondering what was so important for him to leave _now_. "What? Where you going now?"

He pulled the Colt out of his bag as he answered. "I'm gonna to find Liz, bring her back and then I'm going after Gordon."

"What?"

Shrugging, he took a seat at the table to refill the Colt's chamber. "You heard me."

"Not alone, you're not."

Finished with the gun, he finally looked over to me. "Sam, I don't need you to sign me a permission slip, okay? He's after you and Liz, not me, and he's turbocharged. I want you both to stay out of harm's way. I'll take care of it."

"Well, Dean, you're not going by yourself. You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"Just another day at the office. It's a massively dangerous day at the office." He grinned.

_I can't believe him!_ "So you're the guy with nothing to lose now, huh? Oh wait, let me guess. Because, uh, it's because you're already dead, right?"

"If the shoe fits."

"You know what, man? I'm sick and tired of your kamikaze trip"

"Whoa, whoa, kamikaze? I'm more like a ninja."

I shook my head at him, not finding any humour in the situation. "That's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

"No. It's not."

Sighing, he put the gun down and stood. "What do you want me to do, Sam, huh? Sit around all day writing sad poems about how I'm gonna die? You know what? I got one. Let's see, what rhymes with 'shut up, Sam'?"

"Dude, drop the attitude, Dean. Quit turning everything into a punch line. And you know something else? Stop trying to act like you're not afraid."

"I'm not!"

It didn't matter how many times he said it, I knew the truth. I knew Dean better than he knew himself. I could see what was really happening, how he really felt. He could try to hide it and deny everything I said, but that didn't change the fact that he was scared.

"You're lying. And you may as well drop it 'cause I can see right through you."

"You got no idea what you're talking about." Walking away, he grabbed the gun and started for the door.

But I was right behind him. "Yeah, I do. You're scared, Dean. You're scared because your year is running out, and you're still going to Hell, and you're freaked."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I know you!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, because I've been following you around my entire life! I mean, I've been looking up to you since I was four, Dean. Studying you, trying to be just like my big brother. So yeah, I know you. Better than anyone else in the entire world. And this is exactly how you act when you're terrified. And, I mean, I can't blame you. It's just..."

"What?" he pressed, wanting me to finish.

"I wish you would drop the show and be my brother again. 'Cause..." I felt like no matter what I said, he wouldn't listen. It felt like I could never say enough to actually get him to stay. "Just 'cause."

Watching me, he thought about it for a moment before finally speaking again. "All right, we'll hole up, cover our scent so he can't track us, and wait the night out here."

**EPOV**

The moment I stepped back into the room Dean was right there, clearly pissed.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" His eyes looked right into mine, his nostrils flared as he breathed heavily. He was worried, which is why he was so mad.

"Getting these," I answered, lifting the bag with the mobiles in them. Pushing past Dean, I headed over to Sam who sat at the table. "Here." I placed the bag in front of him.

Dean was right behind me, still very clearly pissed. "What the hell, Liz? You were gone for hours. It's almost dark. Gordon could have found you. We had no idea where you were. What if something happened?"

Sighing, I refused to face him as I moved to the bathroom, calling over my shoulder. "I'm here now, Dean. Nothing happened, and I'm fine." I waited until the bathroom door was closed before I let myself actually feel.

I wasn't fine. I really, truly, wasn't...

The reason I'd been gone for hours was because I'd gone looking for Gordon. On my own. Yes, I realise that was reckless and stupid, but I wasn't thinking at the time. All I wanted was to find him, kill him, and be done with it all.

I hadn't managed to find him, but I had found someone else. Kubrick. Or, well, what was left of him.

My hands shook as I moved over to the sink to turn on the tap. The image of Kubrick lying on the floor of his RV was imprinted in my mind. Washing my face, I tried my best to think of anything but all the blood. But I couldn't.

Gordon had killed him. He'd killed his friend. He truly was a monster now.

A sob escaped my lips. Not out of pity or sorrow at the loss of Kubrick. No, I was crying in fear. In bone shaking, heart stopping fear.

There weren't a lot of things we could be certain of, but one thing I knew for sure was that Gordon wanted Sam and I dead, and now that he was a vampire he wasn't going to waste any time. Soon enough, he'd find us, and chances are, he'd kill us.

**DPOV**

Liz was still in the bathroom. The sun had set, it had been an hour or so, and yet she was still in there... I was worried. Before I'd been pissed and worried, but now I was just worried. Extremely worried.

Barricading the door with some of the furniture in my room, I found myself wondering about Liz. Wondering why she'd been on edge the moment we started this case. Wondering if there was something we were missing here. That was until my thoughts were cut short as my phone began to ring.

Sam turned to me. "You've had that phone two hours, Dean. Who'd you give the number to?"

"Nobody," I told him honestly as I pulled the phone out of my pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

" _Dean_." My blood ran cold at the sound of Gordon's voice.

"How'd you get this number?"

" _Lizzie's scent is all over the cell phone store. Of course, I can't smell her now. Where are you?_ "

"Well, I guess you'll just have to find us, won't you."

" _I'd rather you come to me_ "

"What's the matter, Gordo? You're not afraid of us, are you? We're just sitting here. Bring it on!" I couldn't help but grin.

" _I don't think so._ "

There was a pause on the line before I heard another voice. " _Please. Please,_ " the woman cried, causing my grin to fall.

She was shushed as Gordon spoke again. " _Factory on riverside off the turnpike. Be here in twenty minutes or the girl dies._ "

"Gordon, let the girl go."

" _Bye, Dean._ "

"Gordon! Don't do this. You don't kill innocent people. You're still a hunter."

" _No. I'm a monster._ "

The bathroom door opened as Liz stepped out. "What'd he say?"

Sighing, I put my phone away. "He's got a girl. If we don't meet him in twenty minutes he's gonna kill her."

"Fine." Liz walked over to the table and grabbed a machete. "Then let's go." Her eyes moved along the blade as it caught the light, a murderous look in her gaze. "Let's kill the son of a bitch.

**EPOV**

I followed Dean through the factory, with Sam right on my heels. We moved around as quietly as possible, keeping an eye out for Gordon or the woman he had hostage. With our weapons at the ready, it was honestly only a matter of time before we were throwing into action.

Muffled sobbing had Dean hurrying around a metal shelf as he found the woman who Gordon had left bound and gagged.

Right behind him Sam helped his brother get the woman free as I stayed watched, my grip on the machete in my hand strong and determined, but underneath it all I could still feel fear coursing through my veins.

"Hey, we got you," Sam assured the woman as he untied one of her wrists and Dean did the other. "Don't worry. We're gonna get you out of here." Once she was free, he moved the gag away from her mouth before helping her to her feet.

As we headed for the exit it became clear she couldn't walk very well as she stumbled a little.

Dean slung her arm over his shoulders and picked her up. "You two stay close," he told Sam and I as we continued for the exit.

We only took a few steps before a mechanized door suddenly came out of nowhere, sliding in front of Sam and I, cutting us off from Dean and the woman.

"Sam! Liz!" Dean called form the other side.

I knocked on the door frantically, feeling my fear begin to bubble. "Dean!"

"Dean!" Sam yelled, kicking at the door.

But try as we might, the door wasn't budging.

"Damn it! Sam! Liz!"

Turning my back to the door, I found my eyes darting around the place as I tried to control my breathing. Sam kicked the door out of frustration again, before turning away from it as well, knowing we needed to find a new exit.

"Guys, be careful!" Dean called out to us.

It was then that the lights flicked off.

Everything in me froze except my voice. My voice shook as I uttered one word. "Sam..."

He stepped closer to me in an instant, wrapping an arm around my shoulders protectively. "I'm here." His hand slowly slid down into mine before he started to lead us through the dark carefully, trying to find an exit.

Most of the time I could handle myself. I was an excellent fighter, strong, quick and skilled. I knew how to take care of myself. But there was always one monster that had me freeze. One thing in the world that scared me more than anything else.

Vampires.

My hatred ran deep but my fear ran deeper. It was something engraved into my mind years ago. Despite all my drama with demons, vampires were always the things to leave me frozen in fear.

I could feel how tense Sam was as he called out into the darkness. "Gordon! You got us where you want us. You might as well come out and fight!"

"I'm right here, Sam." The voice had sounded so close, as if he stood right behind me.

I let out a gasp and moved closer to Sam, both of us swinging our machetes out in the direction his voce had come from. But there was nothing there.

Gordon laughed, now a distance away from us. "What's the matter, Sammy, Lizzie?"

"So, this is really the way you want to do it, huh?" Sam tugged me closer as he spoke to Gordon.

"Damn right I do. You have no idea what I faced to get here. I lost everything. My life. But it's worth it, 'cause I'm finally gonna kill the most dangerous thing I ever hunted. And Lizzie? Well, you're more dangerous than I thought Sam was. You're not human. Neither of you are."

"Look who's talking," Sam countered, still carefully leading us through the warehouse.

"You're right. I'm a bloodthirsty killer."

"Don't talk about it like you don't have a choice." Sam kept me behind him as he lashed out in front of him, thinking Gordon was close by. But once again he found nothing.

"I don't," Gordon insisted.

"Yes, you do, Gordon. You didn't kill that girl."

"No, I didn't. I did something much, much worse."

**DPOV**

Using a pipe I'd found, I tried to break at the chain holding the door in place. If I could just break it or something, I'd be able to get to Sam and Liz before Gordon did. if he got to them first I'd never forgive myself.

Sam was my brother. I could not and would not live without him. Since he was a baby I'd made it my mission to keep him safe, to keep him alive. When he left to go to school it was hard not having him around. But if he died... I'd die. Without him, there'd be no reason to go on.

Liz... Liz was complicated. She was more than a friend, she was family. I cared about her in ways I'd never cared about anyone. I felt the need to protect her, but also let her do what she needed. Since she'd decided to tag along with Sam and I, whenever she wasn't around it felt wrong.

Try as I might, the chain wasn't breaking. The pipe was too weak, the chain too strong.

Out of frustration, I tossed the pipe away.

Suddenly the woman jumped out at me, growling, revealing her _fangs_ as she knocked me to the ground. Before she had a chance to pounce again, I pulled out the Colt and shot her straight in the forehead.

She stumbled back into the door and slid down it before her lifeless body slumped onto the floor.

**EPOV**

Sam backed us up slowly as Gordon stalked us. My heart raced as I felt around carefully, gripping my machete as tightly as I could while trying to calm myself as much as possible.

"I got to hand it to you," Gordon started. "You both have a lot of people fooled. But see, I know the truth. I know what it's like. We're the same now. I know how it is walking around with something evil inside you. It's just too bad you won't do the right thing and kill yourselves. I'm gonna. Soon as I'm done with the two you. Two last good deeds. Killing you, and killing myself."

My back pressed against a wall, causing a gasp to escape my lips.

Gordon growled, the sound surrounding us. Then he attacked.

Gordon threw himself at Sam and I, the force sending us through the wall and into the next room. Landing on top of me and with a grunt, Sam dropped his machete for a moment before grabbing it just in time as Gordon lifted him off the ground and threw him across the room.

Gordon turned to me then. My eyes were wide for a split second before I grabbed my machete and moved to attack him. But he was faster and stronger, knocking the weapon out of my grasp.

His hand wrapped around my wrist as he hauled me too my feet. Then without hesitating, he pulled my head to the side and sunk his teeth into my neck.

A scream erupted from my lips.

All I was aware of was the pain. The pain that coursed through my veins like sandpaper rubbing against my insides as Gordon fed off me.

**SPOV**

Pulling myself up, I looked over to see Gordon as he sunk his teeth into Lizzie's neck. Her scream echoed off the walls as his teeth bit into her.

"No!" I charged at them, clocking Gordon in the back of the neck.

Gordon dropped Lizzie and turned to me. With a punch to the gut and a kick to the chest, he slammed me against a worktable.

Acting quickly, I grabbed a piece of cloth and the end of some razor wire in each hand just before Gordon stalked over and pinned me down. He slammed my whole body against the table a couple of times, knocking the wind out of me. But I kept a hold on the wire and cloth. Even as he spun me around.

It was then that I wrapped the wire around his neck and began to pull.

Out of shock Gordon stood there as I glared at him, gritting my teeth as I pulled harder. Despite the fact my hands were bleeding from the wire cutting into my skin, I still pulled harder. I just kept pushing through until I cut all the way through Gordon's neck.

His head tumbled to the ground and rolled away.

**DPOV**

I'd managed to finally get through the door and hurried to find Sam and Liz. My eyes landed on her as she pulled herself off the ground, her hand pressed to her bleeding neck. That sight alone, seeing her hurt like that, it had me moving faster.

"Liz!"

Her eyes snapped to mine, showing me the tears in them. "Dean."

We met each other half way. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders as she buried her face into my neck and cried. My arms wrapped around her waist, holding her to me. My grip was tight and desperate, just like hers.

Looking over her shoulder I spotted Sam.

He was leaning against an old workbench, panting, his nose and hands bleeding. But other than that, he seemed fine.

As my eyes wandered, they landed on Gordon's body, and then his head a few feet away. The wire by Sam's feet gave me an idea of what had happened.

"You wanna get out of here?" I asked, whispering into Liz's ear.

She nodded lightly. "Yes please."

Pulling away from her slightly, I nodded to the exit. "Come on."

With my arm wrapped around Liz, while my brother walked on my other side, we started to head out, leaving this place behind. Though seeing the state we were in, we didn't move very fast.

As we walked, I looked to my brother again, "You just charged a super-vamped-out Gordon with no weapon. That's a little reckless, don't you think?"

...

Liz rested against Baby, watching me as I leaned into the hood, working on the engine.

"Here you go." Sam reached over from where he sat on the cooler, offering us a beer each.

I nodded, taking one of the beers. "Thanks."

"Thank you." Liz gave a little smile as she took the other.

Last night's events had left her sore all over. Her neck was okay considering, and hadn't needed stitches, but she did have a bandage over the bite. She was also bruised a little as well, but I didn't know what from. Sam was a little bruised too, but other than that he was pretty much fine. I'd been lucky to come out with no injuries.

"Figure out what's making that rattle?" Sam asked.

"Not yet," I sighed. "Give me a box wrench, would you?"

"Yeah." Sam reached over to the toolbox and pulled out a box wrench. "There you go."

"Thanks." I took the wrench and moved to use it but then paused. I looked at the tool thoughtfully before I turned to my brother. "Sam."

"Wrong one?"

"No, no, no," I shook my head, "come here for a second."

Pulling himself from the cooler, Sam moved over to stand next to me. "Yeah."

I gestured to the engine with the wrench. "This rattle could be a couple of things. I'm thinking it's an out-of-tune carb."

"Okay." Sam was clearly confused.

I noticed Liz as she looked away to hide her smile. I'd seen her working on cars before. She knew a lot more than Sam did, which is why I wasn't including her in this little lesson. Bobby had already taught her more than enough.

Getting back to it, I leaned into the hood again. "All right, see this thing? It's a valve cover. Inside are all the parts that are on the head. Hand me that socket wrench. " Once Sam did, I went on, "All right, you with me so far?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, uh, valve cover covers the heads."

"Very good. Now this is your intake manifold, okay, and on top of it..." I paused expectantly.

A smile crept onto Sam's face as he seemed to remember something. "It's, uh, uh, a carburettor."

Pleased with the answer, I pulled away from the car. "Very good."

"What's with the auto shop?" Sam asked. But instead of answering, I simply held out the wrench to him. "What, you don't mean you want-"

I cut him off, "Yeah, I do. You fix it."

Sam chuckled. "Dean, you barely let me drive this thing."

"Well, it's time. You should know how to fix it. You're gonna need to know these things for the future." I looked up at him then, his smile falling as he sighed and took the wrench. "And besides, that's my job, right? Show my little brother the ropes?"

Without responding, Sam turned to reach into the hood and got to work. With my beer in hand, I reached over to Liz and wrapped an arm over her shoulders as I led us to the cooler.

Pushing the cooler away from Baby a little, I then took a seat on it. "Come here." I grinned up at Liz.

She smiled and lowered herself to sit on the ground between my legs before she leaned against me as we both watched Sam.

"Put your shoulder into it," I told Sam, grinning as I enjoyed my beer and the company.

**Bamby**


	15. Deck the Halls

**DPOV**

Standing outside a home in Ypsilanti, Michigan, dressed in our FBI clothes, Liz and I listened to the woman- Mrs Walsh- standing in front of us as she explained the story of how her husband went missing.

"Um, my daughter and I were in our beds. Mike was downstairs decorating the tree. I heard a thump on the roof and then I heard Mike scream. And now I'm talking to the FBI."

"And you didn't see any of it?" I asked.

Mrs Walsh shook her head. "No, he was… he was just gone."

"The place was locked up, all the doors and windows? There was no sign of forced entry?" Liz questioned.

"That's right." Mrs Walsh nodded.

"Does anybody else have a key?"

She shrugged, looking to me. "My parents."

"Where do they live?"

"Florida."

Liz and I shared a look. There was no way it was them...

"Thanks for letting me have a look around, Mrs. Walsh." Sam offered a polite smile as he walked out of the house. "I think we, uh, got just about everything we need. We're all set."

Putting my notepad away, I nodded to Mrs Walsh. "We'll be in touch."

As we turned to leave, she called out, stopping the three of us. "Agents…" We turned and waited as she went on. "The police said my husband might have been kidnapped."

"That could be the case." Liz was right, but chances were he hadn't been. We couldn't tell Mrs Walsh that though

"Then why haven't the kidnappers called? O-or-or demanded a ransom? It's three days till Christmas. What am I supposed to tell our daughter?"

"We're very sorry." There was nothing else Sam could have said, so with that, we turned and left. Once we were far enough away, he sighed. "Stocking, mistletoe… this." He lifted his hand.

Liz reached over to take it, looking down at the small object in her hand. "Am I touching a tooth?" Her face turned to disgust.

Shaking my head, I took it from her as I turned to my brother. "Where was is?"

"In the chimney."

"Chimney?" That made no sense. "No way a man fits up a chimney. It's too narrow."

"No way he fits up in one piece," Sam countered. He had a good point.

"Alright, so, if dad went up the chimney-"

Liz cut me off, finishing my sentence, "We need to find out what dragged him up there."

**SPOV**

Sitting on the couch with my laptop on the coffee table in front of me, I looked through a bunch of websites trying to figure out what we could be dealing with. Lizzie was sitting on my bed behind me, flicking through books as she researched as well.

The door opened as Dean walked in, carrying a bag off food. "So, was I right? Is it the serial-killing chimney sweep?"

"Yep. It's, uh, it's actually Dick Van Dyke," I joked.

But the look on Dean's face told me he had no idea what I was going on about. "Who?"

Lizzie chuckled. "It's a character from _Marry Poppins_ , Dean." Crawling off the bed, she moved to grab some Twizzler's out of the bag.

"Anyway," Dean sighed, pulling stuff out of the bag and placing them on the table. "It turns out that Walsh is the second guy in town grabbed out of his house this month."

This caught my attention. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"This dude get dragged up the chimney too?" Lizzie asked, ripping a bite off her snack with her teeth.

Moving over to his bed, Dean spoke as he pulled off his jacket. "Don't know. Witnesses said they heard a thump on the roof." He shrugged. "So, what the hell do you think we're dealing with?"

"Actually, I have an idea," I noted.

"That makes one of us," Lizzie sighed, moving back to my bed.

"Though, it's, uh, gonna sound crazy."

Dean grinned, turning to me. "What could you possibly say that sounds crazy to us?"

"Um… Evil Santa."

Dean paused for a moment, looking from me, to Lizzie and then back to me. "Yeah, that's crazy."

Lizzie burst into laughter. "Oh, come on! Evil Santa? Good one, Sammy."

"I'm not joking." I turned as much as I could so I could face both of them. "I'm just saying that there's some version of the anti-Claus in every culture" I picked up some pictures of evil Santa's I'd printed out. "You got Belsnickel, Krampus, Black Peter." Dean took them as I went on. "Whatever you want to call it, there's all sorts of lore."

Lizzie hurried off the bed to stand next to Dean, leaning in to look at the pictures as well. "So what does the lore say?"

Dean was well aware of how close Lizzie was, I could see it in the way he tensed a little before turning the pages so she could see them better. He even moved a little closer to her. Lizzie on the other hand, I had no idea if she realised what she was doing. She was hard to read, and had an excellent poker face.

The idea of them getting together wasn't something I'd given up on. Just like how I hadn't given up on saving Dean from Hell. The three of us were going to be fine. We'd keep hunting and things would carrying on the way they always had. Us on the road, hunting monsters, a family. Because that's what we were, Lizzie included. A family.

Clearing my throat, I got back to the subject at hand, answering Lizzie's question, "Back in the day, Santa's brother went rogue and now he shows up around Christmas time, but instead of bringing presents, he punishes the wicked."

Dean didn't look too convinced. "By hauling their ass up chimneys?"

"For starters, yeah." I nodded.

"So, this is your theory, huh?" He gestured to the pictures. "Santa's shady brother?"

"Well, I-I'm just saying, that's what the lore says."

"Santa doesn't have a brother," Dean noted. "There is no Santa."

"Yeah, I know. You're the one who told me that in the first place, remember." I kind of regretted saying those words after seeing Dean looking away guilty while Lizzie just looked uncomfortable. Quickly going on, I hoped to ease the tension building in the room. "Yeah, you know what, I could be wrong. I," I sighed, turning to my computer, "gotta be wrong."

"Maybe, maybe not."

I frowned, looking over at Dean again. "What?"

"Yeah, what he said." Lizzie looked just as confused as I felt.

Dean shrugged. "I did a little digging. Turns out both victims visited the same place before they got snatched."

"Where?" Lizzie and I asked at the same time.

**EPOV**

Santa's village. Christmas music played as kids ran around. Workers were dressed as elves as they showed families around. Though without snow falling around us or covering the ground, it didn't really give off any Christmas vibes. It actually looked pretty sad.

Despite that, it did fit in with Sam's idea.

"It does kind of lend credence to the theory, don't it?" Dean noted, seeming to be thinking that same as me.

"Yeah, but anti-Claus?" Sam scoffed. "Couldn't be."

Dean grinned. "It's a Christmas miracle." Pausing a moment, he looked over to Sam and I, a little hesitant as he spoke again. "Hey, speaking of, we should have one this year."

Sam frowned, confused. "Have one what?"

I sighed, knowing where Dean was going with this. "He wants a Christmas."

Sam scoffed again. "No, thanks."

But Dean didn't listen to his brother as he started to go on about the Christmas he apparently, and suddenly, wanted. "No, we'll get a tree, a little Boston market, just like when we were little."

Sam shook his head. "Dean, those weren't exactly Hallmark memories for me, you know."

It was Dean's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about? We had some great Christmases."

"Whose childhood are you talking about?"

Dean stopped walking and turned to his brother. "Oh, come on, Sam."

"Not to be a bearer of bad news, but I'm with Sam." I stopped in my tracks and turned to face the brothers. "I don't care if you guys do Christmas or whatever, but I'm not into it."

Dean looked surprised, his eyes darting from me, to Sam and then back. "I thought there was only supposed to be one Grinch." Shaking his head, he walked off.

Sam and I shared a look. I could tell her was thinking about past Christmas', just like I was. Only difference was, mine weren't bad like his might have been.

Christmas in my house, when I was growing up, had always been a big deal. It may have only been my mum, sister and I, but we always had the best time. Every year was stayed in our pyjamas, opened our presents, stuffed ourselves with food we'd made the day before, played board games in front of the fire and then watched cheesy Christmas movies until we fell asleep on the couch.

We didn't leave the house, didn't answer the phone. We had no other family, so we dedicated the whole day to just the three of us.

A Christmas without them felt empty. I didn't celebrate most holidays, not even my birthday, but Christmas... I avoided it like the plague.

"You'd think with the ten bucks it costs to get into this place, Santa could scrounge up a little snow." Both Sam and I turned to Dean, the sound of his voice pulling us from our thoughts.

"What?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head. "Nothing. What are we looking for, again?"

"Um..." Looking around, Sam started to walk along the path as Dean and I followed. "Lore says that the anti-Claus will walk with a limp and smell like sweets."

"So, we're looking for a pimp Santa," Dean joked. "Why the sweets?"

"Kids love candy. It draws them in," I answered with a silent duh.

The look on Dean's face told me he didn't like my answer. "That's creepy." Sam and I chuckled as he went on. "How does this thing know who's been naughty and who's been nice?"

"I don't know." Sam shrugged.

Over by a barn, a man dressed as Santa spoke to the kid on his knee. The way he grinned and looked at the kid, it didn't feel right to me...

"Maybe we do." Dean watched the interaction, clearly thinking the same as me.

A woman dressed as an elf came to stand in front of us, smiling widely. "Welcome to Santa's court. Can I escort your child to Santa?"

"Uh..."

Before Sam could say anything else, Dean quickly smiled back at her. "No. No. Uh, but actually my brother here," he gave Sam's shoulder a hard pat, "it's been a lifelong dream of his."

The elf looked to Sam like he was some kind of freak. "Uh, sorry. No kids over... twelve."

Sam shook his head. "No, he's just kidding. We only came here to watch."

Looking from Dean, to me and back to Sam, her face turned to disgust. "Eww."

As she walked off, I turned to Dean, hiding my grin as I tried not to chuckle at Sam. Dean had a tendency to set him up like that, and it was hilarious whenever Sam fell for it.

Realising what he said, Sam called after her. "I-I didn't mean that we came here to w-" When she didn't stop, he sighed and turned to his brother. "Thanks a lot, Dean. Thanks for that."

Still trying not to laugh, I shook my head at Dean who didn't even try to hide his shit eating grin from his brother.

Dean chuckled as he looked over at the Santa. That's when his smile fell. "Check it out."

The three of us watched as 'Santa' stood from his chair and started to walk away, limping as he moved past us.

Dean turned to Sam accusingly. "Are you seeing this?"

"A lot of people walk with limps, right?" Sam shrugged.

But I was on Dean's side now. "I can't be the only one that smelt candy."

"That was Ripple. I think..." Sam didn't sound too sure anymore. "Had to be."

Dean shook his head. "Maybe. We willing to take that chance?"

**DPOV**

Sitting in the front seat of Baby with Liz in the middle, the three of us watched 'Santa's' trailer waiting for any signs that he might be the guy we're looking for. We'd been here for hours. I was sure it was well and truly morning now.

"What time is it?" I asked through a yawn.

"Same as the last time you asked. Here..." Sam offered me the thermos. "Caffeinate."

Gladly taking the thermos, I then unscrewed the lid and went to pour some coffee into my cup, only to find there was nothing left. "Wonderful." I scoffed and shook my head, putting the thermos away.

Sitting in silence for a moment or so, I started to think about Christmas. Why Sam didn't want one. Why Liz didn't want one. Why they couldn't understand why I did want one. I thought it would have been obvious. But at the same time, I didn't want to push them into doing something they didn't want to.

Despite that, I still felt like I had the right to know their reasons and to try and change their minds.

"Hey, guys."

Sam turned to me. "Yeah?"

"Mmm?" Liz shifted from where her head was resting on my shoulder.

"Why do you hate Christmas?"

Liz simply tensed as Sam sighed. "Dean..."

I looked over to my brother. "I mean, I admit it. You know, we had a few bumpy holidays when we were kids."

"'Bumpy'?"

Ignoring Sam, I went on. "That was then. We'll do it right this year."

"Look, Dean. If you want to have Christmas, knock yourself out. Just don't involve me."

"Or me," Liz piped up.

Shaking my head, I looked away from both of them, focusing on the house again. "Oh, yeah, that'd be great. Me and myself making cranberry moulds."

None of us said anymore as we went back to waiting for 'Santa' to do something. That was when he walked past one of his trailer windows, pulling the blinds closed.

I shifted in my seat. "What's up with Saint Nicotine?"

"Oh, my God!" a woman yelled from the trailer.

Without hesitating, Sam and I opened our doors and hurried out. Liz was right behind us as we rushed over to the trailer, getting our guns ready. I hurried up the stairs and tried to look in through the small window on the door.

Before I stepped in, Sam's voce stopped me. "Huh."

"What?" I asked as I turned to face him.

He shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that, uh… well, you know, Mr Gung Ho Christmas might have to blow away Santa."

Rolling her eyes, Liz pointed to the door with her gun. "Let's just do this already. I want to have a shower and go to bed _before_ the sun rises."

Turning back to the door, I waited a second before pushing it open and barging in, with Sam and Liz right behind me. As we entered the trailer we found 'Santa sitting on the couch, a large bong in hand while he watched some kind of old porn movie...

Jumping off the couch, 'Santa' spun around to look at us. "What the hell are you doing here?" he slurred.

Doing the first thing that came to mind in order to save our asses, I started singing _Silent Night_... badly.

"S-silent night..." I cleared my throat. "Holy," I turned to Sam and Liz then, who began to sing as well, "night. All is well..."

'Santa' chuckled and sat down as he also began to sing. "...all is dry."

"Bright..." Sam corrected.

We tried to think of the lyrics but none of us seemed to remember. Actually, it looked like Liz might have an idea of the lyrics, but she wasn't interested in singing them, she just mumbled as the rest of us struggled.

"Round and round..." Sam tapped my shoulder and gestured to the door. "The table..." Still mumbling the lyrics, we slowly began to back out of the trailer, leaving 'Santa' to do what he wanted.

_That was probably one of the most embarrassing things I've ever had to do..._

**EPOV**

"So, that's how your son described the attack? 'Santa took daddy up the chimney'?" Dean asked as Mrs Cadwell lead us through her house.

She nodded, stopping in the living room. "That's what he says, yes."

"And where were you?"

"I was asleep and all of a sudden..." she sniffled, "I was being dragged out of bed, screaming."

"Did you see the attacker?" Sam questioned.

Mrs Cadwell shook her head. "It was dark, and he hit me. He knocked me out." My eyes landed on her bruised cheek as she answered.

"We're very sorry," I assured her. "We understand that this is hard."

Sam nodded. "Yeah… um, Mrs. Caldwell, where, where did you get that wreath above the fireplace?"

Both Dean and I looked over at the younger Winchester, puzzled by his absurd question.

Mrs Cadwell looked confused as well, and offended. "Excuse me?"

Smiling with embarrassment, Sam gave a light shrug. "Just curious, you know."

...

As we exited the house and headed for Baby, Dean shook his head at his brother. "Wreaths, huh? Sure you didn't want to ask her about her shoes? I saw some nice handbags in the foyer."

Sam sighed. "We've seen that wreath before, Dean."

"Where?"

"The Walshes'. Yesterday," I answered before Sam had the chance.

Dean paused a moment before giving a light shrug. "I know. I was just testing you."

Rolling my eyes, I walked with him to the other side of Baby. "Of course you were, Winchester."

...

I sat at the table in my own hotel room, on the phone to Bobby. "I just have this feeling..."

" _What are you dealing with?_ "

"People are being dragged out of their homes through chimneys. Sam noticed wreaths in the homes of the victims. A kid literally watched the whole thing, whatever did it didn't touch him."

" _Wreaths, huh? They wouldn't be made out of meadowsweet, would they?_ "

I groaned, feeling like such an idiot. "Of course! I'm so stupid. Pagan lore. They used meadowsweet for human sacrifices. It was like an all you can eat sign. The Gods would eat the nearest human." I shook my head at myself. "How did I not realise this?"

Hunting with Bobby had opened my eyes to more than just werewolves and vampires. We killed everything. We dealt with everything. When we didn't have a case, I either trained, or stuck myself in Bobby's study for days.

It came in handy, knowing so much. It impressed both brother's, and it meant that most of the time I was prepared for whatever we may be dealing with. But despite knowing so much, it was easy to forget things... like this for instance.

" _You remember how to kill them? If not, I can look it up,_ " Bobby offered.

"Yeah, could you do that for me? We've still gotta find the guy."

" _No problem. You just be careful, take care of them boys._ "

"Always. Just as long as you're careful too, Bobby." I smiled into the phone. "I'll talk to you later."

" _Lizzie?"_ he called, stopping me from hanging up.

"Yeah?"

" _Merry Christmas._ "

I gave a light sigh. "Thanks. You too." With that, I hung up and put my phone into the pocket of my jacket.

Heading for the door, I left and locked up my room before walking over to Sam and Dean's which was a few rooms over. I didn't even bother knocking as I stepped into the room, finding Sam at his computer studying while Dean flicked through some books.

"Pagan Gods." Both brothers turned to me with question in their eyes. "The wreaths were probably made out of meadowsweet."

Dean still looked puzzled, but Sam seemed to understand. "Right, meadowsweet is used for human sacrifice, right?"

"Yep." I nodded, moving to sit on the couch next to Dean. "It's like a neon sign to an all you can eat buffet for the Gods."

Dean frowned. "Why would somebody be using that for Christmas wreaths?"

Sam shrugged. "It's not as crazy as it sounds. I mean, pretty much every Christmas tradition is pagan."

"Christmas is Jesus's birthday," Dean argued.

"Actually... Jesus' birthday would have been in the fall."

"She's right." Sam nodded. "It was actually the winter solstice festival that was co-opted by the Church and renamed 'Christmas'. But I mean, the Yule log, the tree, even Santa's red suit, that's all remnants of pagan worship."

Dean still looked confused, but for different reasons now. "How do you know that? What are you gonna tell me next? Easter bunny's Jewish?" I chuckled at him before he went on, turning to me. "So, you think we're dealing with a pagan God?"

I gave a sharp nod. "Yep."

Sam turned back to his computer before he quickly typed something up. "It's probably Holdenacar, God of the winter solstice. When you sacrifice to Holdenacar, guess what he gives you in return."

"Lap dances, hopefully." Dean grinned, earning a roll of the eyes from me.

"Mild weather," Sam answered.

Getting off the couch, Dean gestured out the window. "Like no snow in the middle of December in the middle of Michigan."

Sam shrugged. "For instance."

"Do we know how to kill it yet?" Dean look to me.

I shook my head. "But Bobby's working on it. We gotta figure out where they're selling the wreaths first."

**DPOV**

_Deck the Halls_ was playing as Sam, Liz and I entered the Christmas store, heading over to the front counter where an older man stood.

Looking up from the book in front of him, the man turned to the three of us. "Can I help you?"

"Uh, hope so." I smiled. "Uh, we were playing Jenga over at the Walshes' the other night, and, uh… well, he hasn't shut up since about this Christmas wreath, and," I gave Sam a pat on the shoulder, "I don't know, you tell him."

Sam was tense, hating the fact I was setting him up... again. "Sure." He turned to the shopkeeper. "It was yummy."

"I sell a lot of wreaths." The shopkeeper noted, slightly impatient.

Liz laughed lightly. "Of course. But this one was just _perfect_. My fiancé here knows how much I _love_ meadowsweet. All the pretty white buds and the gorgeous green leaves. It was _darling_." She batted her eyes, looping her arm through Sam's.

It was payback. For teasing Sam so much. That's why she was acting like a girl in love, staring up at my brother with dreamy eyes. Sam was loving it too, knowing how jealous I got. Liz and I may not be anything other than friends, but I still cared about her in ways I didn't care about any other friend.

"Well, aren't you a fussy one?" The shopkeeper looked her up and down.

"Only the best for my baby-cakes." Sam smiled down at Liz.

The shopkeeper shrugged. "I know the one you're talking about. I'm all out."

"Huh. Seems like this meadowsweet stuff's pretty rare and expensive. Why make wreaths out of it?" I asked.

"Beats me. I didn't make them."

"Could you tell us who did? I'd love to see if they take orders." Liz kept up her smiling, cheerful act.

"Madge Carrigan, a local lady She said the wreaths were so special, she gave them to me for free," the shopkeeper explained.

Sam's smile fell. "She didn't charge you?"

"Nope."

I grinned, having a feeling that I knew the answer to my next question. "Did you sell them for free?"

"Hell no. It's Christmas." The shopkeeper didn't even try to deny it. "People pay a buttload for this crap."

I laughed lightly. "That's the spirit."

...

Liz pulled her room key out of her pocket as she started backing up. "I'll see you guys in the morning, yeah?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, we're gonna check out Madge Carrigan."

"Okay, well, night boys." She smiled as she turned and headed for her room.

You'd think after the Gordon thing we would all be stuck together like the good old days, but nope. I didn't like the fact she was in a separate room, the fact it wasn't right next door was worse. When the three of us stuck together, it was safer, better for all of us.

Sighing, I headed for Sam's and my room, walking in and holding the door open for my brother as he stepped in behind me.

"How much do you think a meadowsweet wreath would cost?" I asked, closing the door before I started tugging my jacket off and heading for my bed.

"A couple hundred dollars, at least."

"This lady's giving them away for free? What do you think about that?"

"Well, sounds pretty suspicious," Sam admitted, the two of us sitting on our beds at the same time.

I grinned, remembering something from one of our Christmas'. "Remember that wreath Dad brought home that one year?"

"You mean the one he stole from, like, a liquor store?"

"Yeah, it was a bunch of empty beer cans. That thing was great." I chuckled. "I bet if I looked around hard enough, I could probably find one just like it."

Sam simply sighed. "All right. Dude… what's going on with you?"

"What?"

"I mean, since when are you Bing Crosby all of a sudden? Why do you want Christmas so bad?"

"Why are you so against it? I mean, were your childhood memories that traumatic?"

"No, that has nothing to do with it."

"Then what?"

"I-I mean, I-I just… I don't get it. You haven't talked about Christmas in years."

I paused a moment, before giving a slight nod. "Well, yeah. This is my last year."

Sighing again, Sam looked away. "I know. That's why I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't just sit around, drinking eggnog, pretending everything's okay, when I know next Christmas you'll be dead. I just can't."

I knew there was no point in trying to change his mind. Not when that was his reason. I wasn't too sure about Liz's reasons, but I had a feeling they were the same. As much as I wanted a great last Christmas, they didn't want to follow the next years with memories of what they can't have.

**Bamby**


	16. Marry Christmas

**EPOV**

"This is where Mrs Wreath lives, huh?" Dean asked as he looked to the suburban house decorated with Christmas decorations. "Can't you just feel the evil pagan vibe?"

I nudged him playfully. Without saying a word, I started down the path leading to the front door, the two brothers right behind me. Once we reached the door, I lifted my hand and knocked twice. A moment later, the door opened, revealing a woman.

"Yes?" She smiled.

I smiled back at her, putting on my cheery act. "Hi there. You wouldn't happen to be Madge Carrigan would you?"

Her smile widened. "Why, yes I am."

"Perfect." I beamed. "See we heard you're the one making the beautiful meadowsweet wreaths. I couldn't help but fall in _love_ with Mr Sylar's the other day."

"Well, isn't that meadowsweet just the finest-smelling thing you ever smelled?"

"It is, it sure is," Sam chimed in. "But the problem is, is that all your wreaths had sold out before we got the chance to buy one."

Mr Carrigan's smile fell a little. "Oh, fudge!"

"You wouldn't have another one that we could buy from you, would you?" Dean asked.

"Oh, no, I'm afraid those were the only ones I had for this season."

"Pickle," I sighed. "We just can't seem to find any like the ones you made."

"Tell me something," Dean started. "Why did you decide to make them out of meadowsweet?"

"Why, the smell, of course! I don't think I've ever smelled anything finer," Mrs Carrigan answered as a man walked down the stairs behind her, holding an old pipe and dressed in a cardigan.

It was her husband, that was clear. The two of them looked like a picture perfect traditional Christmas couple. Dressed neatly in pastel colours, their hair impeccable, smiling and cheerful. Their house was perfect as well. It was like they'd stepped out of a fifties TV show...

"What's going on, honey?" Mr Carrigan asked as he came to stand by his wife.

Mr Carrigan turned to him. "Well, just some nice boys and sweet girl asking about my wreaths, dear."

"Oh, the wreaths are fine. Fine wreaths," Mr Carrigan exclaimed happily. "Oh, care for some peanut brittle?" he offered the snack to us.

As Dean reached out to grab one I acted quickly, grabbing his hand and intertwining our fingers to stop him from grabbing any.

"As lovely as it looks, we were just about to head out for a late breakfast." I smiled at the older couple. "Wouldn't want to spoil our appetite. But thank you for the offer, and we're so sorry to disturb you. Have a lovely day."

"Oh, and you too." Mrs Carrigan beamed. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." I nodded as the boys and I started backing up.

Walking at a normal pace, we didn't turn back once as we headed over to Baby. Mr and Mrs Carrigan watched as with smiles on their faces until we were in the car. The moment they ducked into the house, my smile fell.

Dean turned to me as I sat in the back seat. "Why'd you stop me? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," I muttered. "Dean. Pagan Gods. Human Sacrifice. I thought it was pretty obvious."

"Wait..." His face slowly turned to disgust. "You're saying that I almost ate-"

"Human parts?" Sam nodded. "Possibly." He grinned at his brother.

Shuddering, Dean faced the front again, turning the ignition on. "I'm never touching peanut brittle again."

**DPOV**

Sharpening some wooden stakes with Liz, as Sam did some more research, we were all getting ready for tonight. The Carrigan's seemed odd to all of us in one way or another. We were sure they were part of what was going on. Now all we had to do was figure out where they were keeping the pagan God.

Suddenly Sam clapped his hands together. "I knew it! Something was way off with those two."

I paused and looked over at him. "What'd you find?"

"The Carrigans lived in Seattle, last year, where two abductions took place right around Christmas," he explained. "They moved here in January. All that Christmas crap in their house, that wasn't boughs of holly. It was vervain and mint."

"Pagan stuff?"

Liz nodded as she kept working on her stake. " _Serious_ pagan stuff."

"So what, Ozzie and Harriet are keeping a pagan god hidden underneath their plastic-covered couch?" I asked.

Sam shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is we gotta check them out. So, what about Bobby? He's sure evergreen stakes will kill this thing, right?"

"Yep." Liz stood, holding up her finished stake. "So who wants to go kill a God?" She smiled at each of us.

The way she got excited about hunting, it was always amusing, and a little cute.

**SPOV**

We'd picked the locks and had looked around downstairs in the Carrigan home. Everything seemed to be ordinary- if you count an abundance of Christmas decorations and food ordinary. So we headed down into the basement. It wasn't long before things started to get weird then.

Shinning our flashlights, the moment we got to the bottom of the stairs, Dean spotted a large bowl on a table, filled with blood covered bones. Moving further into the basement we realised the whole place was set up like a butchery.

Splitting up, I headed to the left while Dean went right and Liz moved forward. Bones and blood were all over the place. It smelt horrible. I can't even begin to describe exactly how bad it smelt.

As I looked around, I found a large leather bag that was, just like everything else, covered in blood. Shaking my head in disgust, I continued to walk, only stopping once I noticed yet another bag. This one hung from the ceiling.

Slowly and carefully, I headed over to the bag, reaching out towards it. The moment I touched the leather bag something inside moved. I jumped back as a man mumbled from inside the bag.

A noise from behind had me turn, but before I could do anything Mrs Carrigan wrapped her hand around my throat and squeezed as she lifted me off the ground.

"Sam!" Dean and Liz called out from somewhere in the basement, hearing the commotion.

Mr Carrigan appeared, grabbing Liz and pushing her against the wall. Her head hit the wall hard, knocking her out. Dean rushed to her aid, but Mr Carrigan simply grabbed my brother and threw him at the wall as well, knocking him out too.

Backing me up, Mrs Carrigan held me against the wall as she shook her head. "Gosh, I wish you three hadn't come down here."

The light of my torch shone on their faces and for a moment I saw what they really looked like. It was as if they were decaying or something. But before I could get a good look they were back to normal.

Then, just as her husband had done, Mrs Carrigan slammed my head against the wall. In a moment or two everything went black as I fell to the floor and fell unconscious.

**DPOV**

I woke up with a groan, finding myself tied to a chair in the Carrigan's kitchen, next to the kitchen island that was covered by an array of knives and bowls. _Well, this can't be good..._

"Dean?" Sam spoke from behind me. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." I groaned again, turning my head to the right to see Liz's chair pushed against ours, her back to our sides. "How 'bout you?"

She looked over to me as best as she could. "Been better."

Sam let out a sigh. "So, I guess we're dealing with Mr and Mrs God. Nice to know."

The Carrigan's walked around the corner then, dressed in colourful Christmas themed sweaters. It was awful.

"Ooh, and here we thought you three lazybones were gonna sleep straight through all the fun stuff," Mrs Carrigan giggled.

"Miss all this? Nah, we're partiers." I didn't hold back the sarcasm as I watched her and her husband move to the other side of the kitchen island.

Mr Carrigan smiled, holding his pipe as he spoke to his wife. "Isn't he a kick in the pants, honey? You're hunters, is what you are."

"And you're pagan gods. So, why don't we just call it even, and go our separate ways?" I smiled back at them.

"What, so you can bring more hunters and kill us?" Mr Carrigan laughed. "I don't think so."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you went snacking on humans, now, huh?" Sam snapped.

Mr Carrigan shook his head. "Oh now, don't get all wet."

Mrs Carrigan moved to put a napkin on my lap. "Oh, why, we used to take over a hundred tributes a year and that's a fact." As she continued, she moved to place a napkin on Liz's lap. "Now what do we take? What, two? Three?" she asked, placing a napkin on Sam's lap.

"Hardy Boys and their friend here make six."

"'Friend'?" Liz actually sounded offended by Mr Carrigan. "That's all I am? _Friend_?"

Ignoring her, Mrs Carrigan continued to smile. "Six isn't so bad, is it?"

"Well, you say it like that, I guess you guys are the Cunninghams," I joked.

Mr Carrigan's smile fell. "You, mister, better show us a little respect."

"Or what?" Sam looked over at him, not holding the attitude back. "You'll eat us?"

"Not so fast." Mr Carrigan turned to his wife. "There's rituals to be followed first."

"Oh, we're just sticklers for ritual." Mrs Carrigan smiled widely.

"And you know what kicks off the whole shebang?"

"Let me guess…" I rolled my eyes, looking over to Mr Carrigan. "Meadowsweet. Oh shucks, you're all out of wreaths. I guess we'll just have to cancel the sacrifice, huh?"

"Oh, don't be such a gloomy Gus." Mrs Carrigan moved behind the island bench again, pulling out some wreaths. Still smiling, she moved to place one on each of us. "There. Oh… don't they just look darling?"

"Good enough to eat." Mr Carrigan smacked his lips together. "All righty-roo." He pulled out a knife. "Step number two."

I watched as he grabbed a knife and moved over to Sam.

"Sammy?!" I tried to look but there was no use, I couldn't see a thing.

"I'm warning you," Liz snarled at the couple. "You'll regret it."

There was a silent pause before Sam yelled out in pain. "D-Don't!"

I struggled against my binds. "Leave him alone, you son of a bitch!"

"Hear how they talk to us?" Mr Carrigan chuckled as he and his wife moved back to the other side of the bench. "To Gods? Listen, pal, back in the day, we were worshipped by millions."

"Times have changed!" I snapped.

"Tell me about it," Mr Carrigan started. "All of a sudden, this Jesus character is the hot new thing in town. All of a sudden, our- our altars are being burned down, and we're being hunted down like common monsters."

"But did we say a peep?" Mrs Carrigan shook her head. "Oh, ho, ho, no, no, no, we did not. Two millennium. We kept a low profile. We got jobs, a mortgage. Wh-what was that word, dear?"

Mr Carrigan had been working with the tools and ingredients in front of him, but paused to look at his wife for a moment. "We assimilated."

Mrs Carrigan nodded. "Yeah, we assimilated. Why, we play bridge on Tuesdays and Fridays. We're just like everybody else," she insisted.

Despite the fact she was now walking over to me with the knife and bowl, I still spoke my mind. "You're not blending in as smooth as you think, lady."

She ignored me, reaching over to my arm with the knife. "This might pinch a bit, dear." With a cut slice, she cut into my arm.

"Ah! You bitch!" I yelled.

She paused and gave me a disapproving look. "Oh, my goodness me! Somebody owes a nickel to the swear jar. Oh, do you know what I say when I feel like swearing? 'Fudge'."

Panting, I looked up at her in disbelief, but still nodded. "I'll try and remember that!"

Picking up a pair of plyers, Mr Carrigan moved back to Sam. "You three have no idea how lucky you are. There was a time when kids came from miles around, just to be sitting where you are."

"What do you think you're doing with those?" Sam asked, panicked.

Mrs Carrigan pulled the bowl from my arm and moved over to Liz. "Your turn sweetheart." She smiled.

"You fudging touch her and I'll fudging kill you!" I warned.

Mrs Carrigan smiled at me. "Very good!" Then, ignoring my warning, she reached over and ran the blade over Liz's forearm, cutting into the skin.

All I could do was struggle against my binds and watch as Liz screamed.

"No. No. Don't!" Sam yelled from behind me before he let out a blood curdling scream.

"Oh, we got a winner!" Mr Carrigan cheered as he and his wife moved back to the bench and put everything they'd gotten from us into a bowl.

"What else, dear?" Mrs Carrigan asked.

Mr Carrigan thought about it for a moment. "Well, let's see. Uh, fingernail, blood. Oh..." He hit himself on the head lightly. "Sweet Peter on a popsicle stick..." He laughed. "I forgot the tooth."

"Oh, dear!" Mrs Carrigan smiled.

Breathing hard, I looked over my shoulder to the others. "Merry Christmas, guys." All I got in return was a couple of pain filled moans and groans.

Grabbing the pliers again, Mr Carrigan moved over to me and grabbed my chin. "Open wide… and say, 'Aah'." He forced my mouth open and put the pliers into my mouth.

As I let out a groan, feeling the pliers grab a tooth, the doorbell rang. We all froze.

"Somebody gonna get that?" I spoke around the pliers, looking to the Carrigans. "You should get that."

Mr Carrigan rolled his eyes and sighed. "Come on." He nodded to his wife and let me go before the two of them left the room, closing the door behind them.

The moment they were gone, I looked over my shoulder again. "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

"Yeah," Liz groaned. There was a pause before she suddenly stood up. "Perks of having the ability to move things with my mind. It's easy to untie myself," she explained as she moved to untie one of my hands before she moved to help Sam.

The moment we were all free, we quickly and quietly moved to the dining room, which is where we hid and waited for the right moment.

A minute or two later, we heard the Carrigan's enter the kitchen. As they did, I hurried around to the other kitchen door.

"Now, where were we?" Mrs Carrigan asked.

That was our cue. At the same time, Sam and I closed the kitchen doors. I pulled a draw out which was right near the door, holding it in place before I hurried back around to see Sam and Liz leaning against the other door.

I pressed a hand on the door, leaning on it as much as I could, trying to help. "What do we do now? The evergreen stakes are in the basement!"

"Well, we need more evergreen, Dean!" Sam noted, his eyes falling on the Christmas tree. "I think I just found us some more." He then nodded to the large cabinet next to us. "Help me get this."

"No need." Liz grabbed Sam and pulled him out of the way while at the same time, she focused on the cabinet, using her mind to move it into place. Despite the fact I didn't like her using the abilities she got from a demon, it did come in handy at times like this.

With the doors successfully blocked, we hurried over to the tree, pulling it down. Grabbing a branch, we each worked on breaking them off. Once we had a piece each we quickly pulled off all the leaves and twigs, making quick and simple stakes.

With new weapons, we hurried back to the cabinet. But suddenly it was too quiet. The Carrigans weren't struggling or fighting anymore...

"Ahh!" Mr Carrigan came out from around the corner, lunging at me.

I fell to the ground with him on top. I had no time to react before he started throwing punches to my face. I was only partially aware of the fact both Sam and Liz were dealing with the Mrs.

Mr Carrigan suddenly froze as a stake was pushed from his back, out through his chest. Blood pooled out of his mouth as he slowly died, going limp.

I looked over his shoulder to see Liz standing there, holding the stake, while Sam stood in the living room, looking down at Mrs Carrigan's dead body.

Pushing Mr Carrigan to the side and off me, Liz glared at him. "Not just a friend now, huh?" Sighing, she let go of the stake before turning to me and offering me a hand. "You okay?"

"Been better." I sighed, letting her help me up. "You wanna get out of here?"

She looked exhausted as she nodded. "Yes please."

**DPOV**

I walked into the hotel room finding Sam standing by a Christmas small tree and a _'Merry Christmas'_ sign. _What the...?_ Now this was a surprise.

"Hey! You get the beer?" Sam asked, smiling widely with a cup of eggnog in his hand.

Instead of answering, I gestured to the room, placing the plastic bag I was carrying onto the coffee table. "What's all this?"

"What do you think it is? It's- it's Christmas."

A smile slowly formed on my lips as I nodded, looking to the tree. "What made you change your mind?"

It was his turn not to answer as he offered me a cup of eggnog. "Here, uh... try the eggnog. Let me know if it needs some more kick." He nodded, grabbing a bottle of whiskey.

I took a sip and coughed a little, surprised by the taste. "No, we're good."

His smile widened. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I assured him. Though really, it was too strong.

"Good." Sam nodded. "Well, uh, have a seat. Let's do... Christmas stuff, or whatever-"

"Knock, knock?" The door opened as Liz poked her head in. Her face lit up at the sight of the Christmas tree. "Wow."

"Hey!" Sam grabbed another eggnog and moved over to her. "Come in! Come in! Here." He handed her the cup.

"Thanks." She smiled, stepping into the room, carrying a paper bag in one hand and grabbing the eggnog with the other.

I couldn't help but smile at the two of them. Despite the fact they'd been against the idea of having a Christmas, here they were. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Clearing my throat, I nodded and placed my drink on the coffee table. "All right, first things first."

We all moved to sit, I pulled up a chair while Sam and Liz sat on the couch- Liz in the middle of us. I pulled a few packages wrapped in brown paper out of a plastic bag from the coffee table.

With a smile, I handed two of the packages to my brother and one to Liz. "Merry Christmas."

Sam took his gifts, still smiling. "Where'd you get these?"

"Some place special." I grinned, when he looked to me I shrugged. "The gas mart down the street." Both of them laughed. "Open them up."

"Well, great minds think alike, Dean." Reaching under the couch, Sam pulled out a few wrapped presents as well, handing two to me and two to Liz.

"And me." Liz grabbed two presents from the bag she'd brought in, handing one to Sam and one to me.

I was shocked, though couldn't wipe my own smile off my face. "Really?" I asked, taking the gifts from both of them.

Sam opened his presents first, laughing as he pulled out some magazines from me. "Skin mags!" I nodded, grinning as he opened the other one form me. "Shaving cream. And..." grabbing the gift from Liz, he unwrapped it quickly. "A travel pillow!"

"You like?" I asked.

"Yeah. Yeah." Sam nodded, still smile. "Thanks guys."

I gave Liz a pat on the knee. "All right, your turn."

Taking a deep breath, she couldn't hide her smile as she grabbed one of Sam's gifts first, unwrapping some kind of book. "A journal." Reaching for the other gift from Sam, she quickly opened it. "Hair-ties." Lastly, she grabbed the present from me. "And... a teddy bear. Aw!" Her cheeks blushed as she looked to both of us. "Thank you, guys."

"My turn!" I cheered, grabbing my presents from Sam. "Look at this." I showed Liz the candy bar and bottle of oil. "Fuel for me and fuel for my baby." Smiling, I grabbed the gift from Liz, opening it up. "Pie!"

"I never forget the pie." Liz grinned.

Looking up at both of them, I knew right then and there that I hadn't felt this good in years, maybe even ever. "These are awesome, guys. Thanks." Raising my glass, I nodded to both of them. "Merry Christmas."

"Yeah. Yeah." Sam reached for his cup as Liz did the same, the three of us toasting. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Liz smiled.

We each took a drink, a slight tension building in the room. This was it. This was my last Christmas with Sam and my first with Liz. Next year I'd be gone. But the fact I knew they'd have each other at least eased my mind a little.

Lowering his cup, Sam turned to me. "Hey, Dean, y-" he hesitated and sighed before gesturing to the TV with a light smile. "Do you feel like watching the game?"

Part of me was glad he hadn't said whatever he'd been planning to. While the other part of me wondered what it might have been. But instead of questioning him, I nodded, getting comfortable. "Absolutely."

His smile widened as he stood to turn on the TV. "All right."

"Here." Liz shifted over a little, patting the spot next to her.

I moved over, leaving my presents by my chair as I sat next to her, resting my free arm over her shoulders. Sam came back to sit down again, all three of us facing the tv, still smiling as we watched the game together.

**EPOV**

I turned back to Dean as he stood in the doorway and I stood out of the room. Sam was passed out on his bed, having had too much eggnog. It was almost morning, almost the end of Christmas.

"I had a great time. Didn't think I would," I admitted with a grin.

Dean nodded, smiling. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too."

We fell silent as he leaned against the door frame, shoving his hands into his pockets. I tugged on my jacket, looking over my shoulder to my room, thinking about the cold and lonely bed I was about to crawl into. I didn't want to be alone. Not after the great night we'd had...

Shaking my head at myself, I let out a short sigh. "Screw it." Turning back to Dean, I grabbed his flannel shirt and pulled him closer, pressing my lips against his.

He was surprised at first. It took him a second or two before he actually reacted and kissed me back. But once he did, I was lost to the world.

Straightening himself, he rested on hand on my waist as the other cupped my cheek, holding me to him as he deepened the kiss. It was then that I remembered why I'd found it so hard not to touch him before. The way he made me feel, like I was floating in perfect nothingness. Only he made me feel this good.

I pulled back, a little out of breath. "Dean."

He searched my eyes before turning back to the room and closing the door. "Come on." Grabbing my hand, he led me to my room.

Pulling my keys out, I quickly unlocked my door as his lips attacked my neck from behind. The moment I had the door open we hurried in, Dean's hands grabbing and turning me so he could press his lips to mine again.

"God, I missed this," he groaned, tugging my leather jacket off.

"You're telling me." I bit his lip, grinning.

Before long, our clothes were gone as we tumbled onto the bed. We were a tangle of limps, kissing and biting each other in a desperate need and hunger. We spent the rest of the night like this, in bed, together, touching each other in all the ways we'd wanted to in the past few months. It was the perfect way to and an already perfect Christmas.

**Bamby**


	17. Curveball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Smut
> 
> Bamby

**DPOV**

I stood in the bedroom, questioning Paul Dutton, a man whose wife mysteriously died. It had seemed odd enough for Sam, Liz and I to come down and check it out. While I question him, Liz and Sam searched the bathroom where Janet- Paul's wife- died, looking for anything that could give us a lead.

"She was so scared. I couldn't help. I couldn't do anything to stop it." Paul looked broken. "And I've talked to the police, and I've talked to the medical examiner and no one can explain it."

I nodded. "Well, that's why they put the call in to us Mr Dutton."

"But the CDC, that's disease control, right? What do you think; it's some kind of virus?"

"We're not ruling out anything yet," I explained. "Mr Dutton did Janet have any enemies?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Anyone that might have a reason to hurt her?"

He frowned, looking up at me as he stood from where he'd been sitting on the end of his bed. "Wait, what are you saying? That somebody poisoned her?"

"I'm just saying we have to cover every base here."

"Well, I mean, what kind of poison? You think a person could have done this?"

"Would anyone want to?"

"What?! No, no, there's just no one that could've-" he cut himself short, as if remembering something.

Sam opened the bathroom door as he and Liz stepped out.

But I kept my attention on Mr Dutton, waiting for him to go on. "Mr Dutton?" I pressed.

Paul shook his head, turning his attention back to me. "Uh, everyone loved Janet."

Sighing, I looked over to Sam and Liz. Sam gave a short nod letting me know they were finished. With that I nodded to Mr Dutton. "Okay. Thank you very much. I think we've got everything we need. We'll get out of your way now."

...

The three of us head for Baby, rain spitting down onto our suits.

"That dude seem a little evasive to you?" I asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know I was under a sink, pulling this out." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over to me.

As I opened the bag, Liz spoke. "Hex bag."

"Aw gross." I quickly handed it over to her.

She grinned, looking down at the ingredients inside. "We've got bird bones, rabbit's teeth, and this cloth is probably cut from something Janet Dutton owned." She pointed to the cloth inside the bag.

I sighed, shaking my head. "So, we're thinking witch?"

Sam nodded. "Uh, yeah, and not some new age wicked water douser either. This is Old World black magic Dean, I mean, warts and all."

I got in the car pausing for a moment before turning to face both Sam and Liz. "I hate witches." Sam and Liz simply chuckled. "They're always spewing their bodily fluids everywhere."

"Pretty much." Sam nodded again.

"It's creepy, you know, it's downright unsanitary," I noted, making Liz laugh lightly in the backseat.

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "Well someone definitely had it out for Janet Dutton."

I looked behind his shoulder and over at the Dutton house. "Yeah, someone who snuck into that house and planted the bag. So what are we thinking, we're uh, looking for some old craggy Blair bitch in the woods."

"Not exactly. Witches can be anyone," Liz started. "Neighbour, co-worker, even the mailman. Man, woman. Adult, child. They're human, Dean."

"Great." I shook my head. "How do we find 'em?"

"This wasn't random. Someone in Janet Dutton's life had an ugly axe to grind. We find the motive-"

"We find the murderer," I finished his sentence as I started the car before driving off.

**EPOV**

There was a knock on my hotel room door. I'd been sitting on the bed, flicking through some lore books on witches. I was dressed in a simple tank and my underwear, with the teddy bear Dean gave me for Christmas next to me- he was brown, fluffy and had his own red flannel shirt. I knew we'd be out late tonight, so I wanted to shower and relax beforehand. Witches always made me feel gross.

Pulling myself up, I walked over and looked through the peep hole. Surprise, surprise, it was Dean on the other side.

Grinning, I opened the door, not caring that _any_ one could see me. "Yes?"

His eyes looked me up and down, turning dark with hunger. "Liz..."

"Dean." My grin grew.

Without another word, he pushed forward, grabbing me and crashing his lips against mine. I threw the door closed as his hands grasped the back of my thighs and pulled me up so they wrapped around him. As his lips moved to my neck and began to nibble he reached around and pushed everything off the table before placing me on the cold surface.

I jumped a little at the contact, and giggled. "Dean, what are you doing?"

"Sammy went out to get food. Thought I'd come over while he was out," he mumbled against my skin as he grabbed my shirt and began to pull it off me.

The moment his hands touched the bare skin of my waist, I was lost. I wanted him. Right then and there.

Pulling him away, I made quick work of getting his jacket, flannel and shirt off. He helped, both of us in a hurry to get naked as soon as possible. The heat growing under my skin grew with every brush of his skin against mine, which was like kindle to my desire.

Once his shirt was thrown to the floor, I found my eyes roaming over his body, taking in the vast amount of gorgeous skin on display. Seeing Dean topless- even before we'd ever slept together- had always left me flushed and weak willed.

My eyes moved up to meet his. They were dark, mirroring mine. Everything he was thinking, feeling and wanting was right there, promising me everything and anything… and I loved it.

Grabbing his belt, I pulled him closer and worked on getting rid of his pants. I watched myself work with hungry eyes, feeling the all too familiar hunger growing inside me. I needed him naked. Now.

As his jeans and underwear fell to the ground, Dean grabbed my hips and pulled me to him so my legs wrapped around him again. Lips pressed against mine once more, he slid his fingers under the hem of my underwear and began to pull them down.

I shifted slightly to help him. When I sat back down on the cold table, now bare, I gasped. Chuckling, Dean trailed his lips over to rest them right by my ear. No words were spoken as he finally pushed into me.

My hand gripped his hair as we pushed against each other. Each thrust adding to the growing ball inside me, the pressure and pleasure causing my toes to curl and eyes to roll.

Our thrusts were slow and hard, both of us wanting to touch every part of the other. Our breathing was heavy, our eyes making contact here and there between glances at where we were connected and other parts of ourselves. The moans, groans and other noises spilling from our lips were the kinds we only ever made when like this, together, overheated by the need and passion of intimacy and touch.

Sex had always been something I enjoyed. It was a dance, and I'd had many partners, all of which brought something new to the table. But Dean was by far, the best.

Dean made me feel things I never knew I could. Muscles that only usually ached after a hard fight, seemed to awaken whenever things got extremely physical between us. He made me want to take control and give everything up all at the same time. I just wanted to devour all of him.

Slicked skin, covered in sweat, slid together. Warm breaths brushing against each other. Heat everywhere. Everything inside me was hot and needy, my senses drowning in him. My nails dug into his back as he began to move faster, his lips sucking on the skin below my ear. It was my soft spot, and he knew it.

Gasping and panting, my legs gripped onto him tighter, pulling him in more. "Dean," I breathed. "God. Yes."

"Can't stop thinking about you. About this," he groaned, pushing into me deeper and harder. "So good."

Mumbled words, most barely understandable, were exchanged between us as we got closer and closer to the brink. Dean touched me in all the right places, handling me like a piece of art he was sculpting.

He shifted both of us in a way so as he entered me he hit all the right spots. Pushing in and out, hard and fast, both of us needing the realise that was oh so close, I felt the ball inside me reach its peak before it exploded.

My teeth bit into Dean's shoulder, muffling my screams as pure ecstasy coursed through my veins, numbing everything until I was limp and completely satisfied. At the same time, Dean climaxed as well, twitching as he emptied himself inside me.

A few minutes went by and we were still there, leaning against each other, breathing heavy and hard, slowly recovering.

He rested his head on my shoulder, placing a kiss where my neck and shoulder met. "So glad I came over." He grinned against my skin. "By the way, you might wanna cover that." His nose poked me, right under my ear.

I rolled my eyes, having an idea of what he was talking about. "What is with you and marking me?" I found it amusing, and annoying, maybe even a little hot. Okay, definitely hot.

Pulling back, he gestured to his shoulder where I'd bitten him. It was already beginning to bruise. "You give as good as you get."

All I could do was smile proudly at my work.

**DPOV**

Liz sat in the back while Sam and I sat in the front of Baby. We'd been following Paul Dutton for a few hours now, trying to figure out who might have killed his wife and if they were done or if he was next.

I couldn't help but look to the backseat through the rear-view mirror every now and then. My shoulder ached, in a good way, right where she bit me, and I could still feel her everywhere.

We hadn't spent much more time in her room. We went back to Sam's and my room a few minutes before he came back with food. Liz had been dying for something chocolate, but unfortunately for her, Sam hadn't brought any.

I mean, how was he supposed to know she'd need it. _I_ hadn't even known she would have. It's not like I went to her room just for sex. Okay... I did go there for sex, but not _just_ for sex.

After Christmas, Liz and I hadn't really talked about what happened. We went to her room, had sex and then she needed chocolate so we went out to get some. At the gas station, I'd struggled keeping my hands off her. With the bed hair and the lazy look in her eyes… she always looked so good after sex. But when we got back to the hotel, we'd gone our separate ways with a simple 'Goodnight and Merry Christmas'.

This time I'd gone to her to ask questions, to find out what we were doing. I was well aware of how complicated things were. I knew she'd been reluctant to even continue hunting with Sam and me because of my deal, so I couldn't guess how she was feeling now that she was sleeping with me even though I was going to die soon…

Glancing at her now as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger absentmindedly, I wondered if we were ever going to talk about all of that...

As if feeling me watching her, she looked up and to the mirror. Our eyes locked in an instant, a small grin slipping onto her lips as she tugged on them with her teeth, dark, suggestive and knowing eyes boring into mine.

I shifted in my seat, feeling my pants getting tighter. Just like that, with that one look from her, I wanted to climb over the seat and-

"Dean." Sam nudged my arm, cutting off my train of thought.

I followed his gaze and looked over to Paul as he scrambled out of his car, obviously choking. "Crap." Turning the car on, I drove over to him as fast as I could.

The three of us climbed out of the car, hurrying over to help him.

"Check the car!" I told Sam. As he rushed to the car, Liz and I moved to try and help Paul as he knelt on the ground struggling to breath. "Sam!" I warned.

"Got it!" He got out of the car, holding a hex bag before setting it alight with his small blow torch.

The bag burned with blue and green flames as Sam dropped it to the ground. The moment the fire went out, Paul took a deep breath, suddenly fine.

"You okay?" I asked, needing to make sure.

"What the hell is happening to me?!"

"Someone murdered your wife and now they're trying to kill you, that's what's happening to you." No need to beat around the bush.

"That's impossible! There's no way-"

Liz cut him off, "Dude, you almost just choked to death. Now is not the time to be sceptic. Just tell us who wants you dead." When he opened up his mouth, she stopped him with an annoyed glare that matched her impatient tone. "And don't lie."

He paused a moment, looking genuinely scared of Liz before he answered. "There's a woman. An affair, a mistake, she was un-balanced, she was blackmailing me and I put an end to it a week ago."

"What's her name?" Sam asked.

Stuttering, Paul looked to the three of us. "Wha- what could she have to do with-"

"Paul!" I snapped. "What is her name?"

**EPOV**

"Move." I walked past the brother and up to Amanda's door.

Paul had given us her address and I was not in the mood to waste any time. If she was killing people, she had to be stopped now.

Lifting my free hand, I looked to the door handle, and with a flick of my wrist it unlocked and opened. "Perks of having a teleketic friend, boys."

We entered her house, guns drawn. As we walked into the entrance hall, we only had to take a few steps before we were in the living room. That's where we stopped.

A woman whom I was guessing was Amanda was kneeling on the floor and over the coffee table, blood pooled on top of the glass and around her. She was quite clearly dead. Candles sat on the table close by, still burning. She hadn't been dead for long.

Dean flicked on the lights. "That's a curveball."

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

Moving over to the body, Dean lifted her right arm and pointed out the deep cuts on her wrists. Putting the arm back down he lifted the other to reveal the same cuts. It looked like she might have killed herself.

"Three per wrist, vertical." Dean shook his head. "She wasn't foolin' around."

Putting his gun away, Sam bent down and began to look at the scattered pages and books sitting on the makeshift altar which was just a coffee table. Along with the books and normal witch stuff, sat a plate of rotten food that was covered in bugs.

I groaned in disgust. "I'm never eating again."

Sam read some of the pages, the look on his face told me he was fighting the urge to hurl as well. "Looks like she was working some heavyweight evil here."

"Yep." Dean turned and suddenly jumped, startled. "Oh god! Freakin' witches! Seriously man, come on!"

"Oh, no." I looked to the rabbit hanging from the ceiling, dead. A bowl sat under it, catching the blood that dripped from it. "Poor bunny." I pouted, honestly feeling bad for it.

Dean turned to me, about to say something, only he stopped himself when he saw the genuine sadness in my eyes. Without a word, he moved over to me, turning me around so I couldn't see the rabbit, staying close for comfort. His arm wrapped around my back, his hand resting on my waist as he let me press myself against his side and rest my head on him.

Standing up with a sigh, Sam looked to the rabbit behind us. "Guess we know where she got the rabbit's teeth from." He looked to us briefly, not saying anything but definitely noticing the proximity.

"Well, Paul sure knows how to pick 'em huh? It's like _Fatal Attraction_ all over again." Dean shook his head. "And why does the rabbit always get screwed in the deal?! The poor little guy."

"Yeah, poor guy." I pouted again.

Sam frowned a little, looking around at the scene. "You know what I don't get? If she was so bent on revenge, why do this?"

"Well, she got Janet Dutton, thought she finished off Paul, decided to cap herself and make it a spurned lover's hat-trick," Dean suggested with a shrug.

"Maybe." Getting to his knees again, Sam bent in a way so he could look under the glass table.

"I mean, this doesn't exactly look like the TV room of a bright and stable person, you know?" Dean noted, putting his gun away.

"No, but then..." Reaching under the table, Sam pulled out a hex bag. "There's this." He stood and threw it over to us.

I caught it before Dean could and opened it up, sighing at the contents. "Does this mean we've got more witches to deal with?"

Sam shrugged. "I guess."

Pulling out his phone, Dean dialled in and number and held it up to his ear. "I'd like to report a dead body, 309 Mayfair Circle. My name? Yeah, sure my name is-" He hung up, nodding to the body. "Why are witches ganking each other?"

"I don't know." Sam shook his head. "But I think maybe we got a coven on our hands."

**SPOV**

"You must have a green thumb," I called as Dean, Lizzie and I walked up to a woman- Elizabeth Higgins was her name- as she knelt in her garden.

She looked up, surprised to see us as we stopped a few feet away. "Excuse me?"

I gestured to the garden. "Getting these herbs to grow out of season like this. It's quite impressive. I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself first." Reaching into the pocked of my suit, I pulled out my badge. "I'm uh, Detective Bachman. This is Detective Turner and Detective McCann."

Dean pulled out his own badge, flashing it to the woman with a smile. "Hi-ya."

Lizzie showed her badge as well, but without saying anything.

"We're following up on Amanda Burns' death, going around the neighbourhood and talking to neighbours and stuff like that," I explained.

Standing up, Elizabeth Higgins looked a little nervous as she spoke. "But didn't she- I mean she killed herself, right?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe."

"We heard you were friends with the deceased, right?" Dean asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Did you have any idea about her practices?"

Looking to Dean, shifting on the spot a little, her nerves seemed to increase. "I'm sorry, what kind of practices?"

"When her body was discovered we found her home riddled with Satanic paraphernalia," Lizzie noted.

Dean grinned. "A regular Black Sabbath."

Elizabeth Higgins shook her head. "No, the- but she was an Episcopalian."

"Well, then we're pretty sure she was using the wrong Bible." Dean chuckled.

"Elizabeth, you all right?" a blonde housewife looking woman asked as she and an olive-skinned brunette moved to stand on either side of Elizabeth Higgins.

"I'm fine uh Renee, these are detectives." Elizabeth Higgins gestured to the three of us before she turned to the blonde. "They say Amanda was- she was practicing-"

The blonde cut her off, turning to me. "I'm sorry detectives. You can tell that Elizabeth is a little bit upset."

Dean nodded. "Of course, Miss...?"

" _Missus_. Renee. Van Allen," the blonde answered as if the name was important or something. "Would you like me to spell it for you?" She looked so smug.

Dean forced a smile. "I'll get by, thanks."

Turning back to Elizabeth Higgins, Renee sighed. "This Amanda business has been hard for Elizabeth. For all of us."

The brunette nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you think you know a person."

The way those two had come over and the fact Elizabeth Higgins had been so nervous, I had no doubt they were the witches we were looking for. Acting so smug like nothing could touch them. It amused and annoyed me, and by the way our Lizzie shifted on the spot and tugged on her jacket, I could tell she felt the same.

"Well, I guess we all have secrets, don't we?" Dean asked, still smiling at the women.

When none of them said anything, I cleared my throat. "Well, thanks, um, we'll be in touch."

Lizzie turned first and walked away, without another word Dean and I followed, feeling the woman still watching us as we walked away.

**EPOV**

"Well, I'm already sold on that Elizabeth Higgins chick," Dean noted as he focused on the road ahead. "Did you see that victory garden of hers? Belladonna, wolfsbane, mandrake, not to mention that little flinch she threw when we mentioned the occult."

"Well, she's definitely had a good run lately. Gone up a few tax brackets. Won almost too many raffles," Sam read from the files he was going through. "Kinda thing a little black magic always helps with."

I flicked through my own files. "Mrs Stick-Up-My-Ass Van Allen seems to be doing a little too good lately as well. She's won practically every craft contest she's entered in the past three months."

"A regular Martha Stewart, huh?" Dean scoffed. "Except for the devil worship. I'm thinking that was the coven we met back there, minus one member."

Sam seemed to agree. "Amanda was clearly going off the reservation. What do you think, they killed her to keep up appearances?"

"Seems like an appearance kind of crowd, don't you think?"

"Housewives stereotypically are like that," I noted, moving to hand Sam my paperwork. "So what are we gonna do? Gank or no gank? I mean they killed the murdering witch. Doesn't seem like they're up to no good or anything."

Sam turned to look at me. "They're working black magic too, Lizzie. They need to be stopped."

Dean looked surprised by his brother's words and tone. "'Stopped', like stopped?" When Sam gave him a 'duh' look, Dean hesitated. "They're human, Sam."

"They're murderers," Sam argued.

Looking to his brother again, still shocked, Dean took a moment to think about it before giving a short shrug. "Burn witch, burn." He turned to face the road again, only the car began to stutter and choke up... "What the hell?"

The headlights flickered off and on as the car slowly came to a stop. Standing in the middle of the dark road was a woman. Straight blonde hair falling down her back. She was short, but clearly full of attitude...

Sam got out of the car first before Dean and I followed.

"Ruby," the youngest Winchester spoke.

So this is the demon Dean was telling me about. The one that saved Sam and was offering to save Dean. The one that seemed to be on our side. I wasn't buying it, but I was willing to use her as long as it was an advantage for us.

Ruby focused on Sam. "Sam, listen to me, there's no time."

Sam frowned. "For what? What are you talking about?"

"You have to get out of town."

"So, this is Ruby, huh?" Dean suddenly pulled the Colt out of his jacket and aimed it at her, cocking it. "Never had the pleasure."

"Dean!" Sam snapped.

I stepped closer to him. "You wanna rethink what you're doing?" I looked from the Colt, to Ruby, and then to Dean.

But he ignored both of us, staying focused on the demon. "I was hoping you'd show up again."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Point that thing somewhere else."

He gave a fake laugh. "Right."

Shaking her head, Ruby looked to me. "Lizzie-"

"It's Elizabeth." I glared at her. We weren't friends. She didn't get to call me anything other than my actual name.

Ignoring me, she went on. "They listen to you. Just get in the car and go. Don't look back. Just leave."

The desperation in her voice made me feel a little unsure. "Why?"

Before she could answer, Dean spoke up again. "Hey, hot stuff, we can take care of a few kitchen witches, thanks," he told her.

"I'm not talking about witches, you jackass." Ruby glared at him. "Witches are whores. I'm talking about who they serve."

While the brothers look confused, it instantly clicked for me. "You're saying a demon, _the_ demon they serve, is in town?"

"Yeah. Right now."

Dean scoffed. "Oh, what, you mean a demon besides you is in town?"

Turning back to the younger Winchester, Ruby refused to give up. "Sam, it knows you're here and it's gonna come after you and its way more than you can handle."

"Oh, come on, what is this, huh? Please tell me you're not listening to this crap!"

"Put a leash on your brother, Sam, if you wanna keep him," Ruby warned.

I stepped closer to Dean, getting defensive. "Try anything and I'll pull you from your meat-suit faster than you can blink those ugly black eyes." My hand twitched, ready to do whatever I had to.

"Guys, look, just chill out."

"No!" Dean yelled at his brother, still aiming at Ruby. "No! She's messing with your head, God knows why, that's who they are!"

"I'm telling you the truth," Ruby insisted.

Dean was getting pissed. "And I'm telling you to shut up, bitch."

Ruby stepped closer to Dean, getting just as worked up. "I'm sorry, why are you even a part of this conversation?!"

"Oh, I don't know maybe because he's my brother, you black-eyed skank!"

"Oh, right, right. You care about your brother so much. That's why you're checking out in a few months?"

Dean no longer yelled as he shifted on the spot, ready to shoot. "Shut up."

"At least let me try and save him, since you won't be here to do it anymore."

"I said shut up!" His finger pressed harder on the trigger.

"Dean no!" Sam moved quickly, pushing the gun up just as Dean fired, sending the bullet up into the air.

Dean struggled against his brother. I jumped in, pulling them away from each other, pressing my hands against their chests to keep them at a distance. When they stopped struggling we all looked over to see Ruby was gone.

Shaking his head, giving Sam a disapproving look, Dean walked to the car and got back into the driver's seat. Sam and I shared a look for a moment, I was on the fence in this situation, Ruby had helped before and I wanted to believe her this time, but she was a demon. For now, she was the enemy, and I was determined to keep Sam safe so long as she kept hanging around him.

**Bamby**


	18. Human Once

**DPOV**

I stormed into our hotel room. I hadn't been surprised when Liz walked off to her own room- which was next door. The car ride had been tense and uncomfortable. But now that we were alone, I had a few things I wanted to get off my chest.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I shook my head at Sam.

He closed the door behind him. "What?! What the hell was _I_ thinking?"

"She's a demon, Sam. Period. All right? They want us dead, we want them dead."

"Oh, that's funny. I remember that demon chick in Ohio, Casey? You didn't want her dead."

I tugged off my jacket, throwing it onto my bed. "Yeah, well she wasn't stringing me along like a fish on a hook."

"No one's stringing me along!" Sam insisted. "Look, I know it's dangerous, that she is dangerous, but like it or not, she's useful."

"No! We kill her before she kills us."

"Kill her with what? The gun she fixed for us?"

I shrugged. "Whatever works."

"Dean, if she wants us dead, all she has to do is stop saving our lives." As I turned away and headed to the bathroom he went on. "Look, we have to start looking at the big picture Dean, start thinking in strategies and- and moves ahead," he noted as I washed my face. "It's not so simple, we're not- we're not just hunting anymore. We're at war."

I turned off the tap and looked over at him through the mirror. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked, grabbing the hand towel to dry my face.

He sighed, taking a seat on his bed. "Why are you always asking me that?"

"Because you're taking advice from a demon, for starters," I noted, walking back into the bedroom. "And by the way, you seem less and less worried about offing people. You know, it used to eat you up inside."

"Yeah, and what has that gotten me?"

I shifted a little, pressing on my stomach. "Nothing, but it's just what you're supposed to do, okay? We're supposed to drive in the freakin' car and freakin' argue about this stuff. You know, you go on about the sanctity of life and all that crap."

Sam paused for a moment. "Wait, so- so you're mad because I'm starting to agree with you?"

"No, I'm not mad, I'm- I'm- I'm worried, Sam-" shaking my head, I took a seat at the foot of my own bed. "I'm worried because you're not acting like yourself."

"Yeah, you're right, I'm not. I don't have a choice."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, rubbing at my stomach, feeling a pain growing inside me.

"Look, Dean, you're leaving, right? And I gotta stay here in this craphole of a world. I don't even know if Lizzie is gonna stick around. So the way I see it, if I'm gonna make it, if I'm gonna fight this war after you're gone, then I gotta change."

Leaning forward, clutching my stomach, I frowned. "Change into what?"

"Into you. I gotta be more like you."

I shook my head, about to speak, but the pain in my stomach stopped me as it got worse and worse. Pressing on my stomach harder I leaned forward as my face twisted in pain. "Ah!"

"What's going on with you?"

"I don't know," I groaned, the pain increasing. "Oh, Sam something's wrong... bunch of knives inside of me-"

"Dean?" Sam stood and knocked on the wall hard before hurrying over to kneel in front of me.

"Son of a bitch-" Bending forward, I shook my head, having never felt a pain like this before. It was like my insides were being torn apart and set on fire all at once. "The coven man, it's gotta be the coven."

"Don't worry." Sam got to his feet and rushed over to the bathroom where he started looking everywhere for a hex bag.

I yelled out in pain, falling back on the bed. I started coughing and choking, blood coming out of my mouth. The force of the coughs had me falling onto my knees before I collapsed on the ground all together.

"I can't find it." Sam's panicked voice spoke. He paused and looked over at me, seeing me curled in pain spluttering out blood. "No." Hurrying over to my jacket, he pulled out the Colt.

"Sam, what are you doing?" I managed to ask.

Without answering, Sam got up and moved for the door.

"Sam!"

But he ignored me, leaving the room in a haste.

"Sam!" I yelled, followed by another groan. All I could do was sit there, in excruciating pain. It honestly felt like I was about to die.

**SPOV**

I kicked down the front door and hurried inside, pulling the Colt out and aiming it at the women as they sat around an altar in the living room. "Let him go."

With her hands raised as they all stood, Renee shook her head. "Let who go? What are you doing? You're insane, get out!"

"Look, if you know about me, then you know about this gun. You're killing my brother. Now let him go. Get away from the altar," I ordered.

"What?"

"Now!" I snapped, causing them all to do as I said, the gun still trained on them.

**EPOV**

It was the sound of Dean yelling after Sam and then the Impala driving off that had me hurry over to their room. That's how I found Dean in the ground, curled up in a ball, coughing up blood. In an instant, I knew it was the witches doing.

Rushing around, I began searching the room, looking for the hex bag. There had to be a hex bag.

Suddenly the door was kicked open. I spun around to see Ruby standing in the doorway.

"You wanna kill me? Get in line bitch," Dean managed.

Ignoring him, she stepped closer to him, only to stop when I got in her way.

"Touch him and you're dead."

She glared at me. "Do you want him to die? Because I can save him."

There was a moment as I tried to figure out if I could trust her or not. But I'd looked all over the room and hadn't found the hex bag, Dean was a goner without some kind of help. I hated it, but if she was willing...

I took a step back and out of her way.

Grabbing him by the collar, she tossed him on to the bed, leaned over him and then proceeded to force his mouth open as she pulled out a bottle and poured some kind of dark liquid into his mouth.

Dean struggled against her and tried to spit the liquid out, but some of it managed to get through.

"Stop," taking a step back, panting, Ruby glared at him, "calling me bitch."

**SPOV**

"Go." I kept the gun aimed at the woman as I directed them to move over to the fireplace.

Once they were in place, Elizabeth Higgins turned to me. "What- we- we weren't hurting anyone."

"Please, we don't even know your brother," Renee insisted.

But I didn't care. I knew they were the reason Dean was dying, and I was determined to stop them. "Stop the spell, or die. Five seconds."

Renee's eyes went wide. "What?"

I cocked the gun. "Four."

"No, please, please don't kill us."

"We were just getting Renee a lower mortgage rate!" Elizabeth tried to explain.

I looked at them confused, but didn't waver as I kept the gun focussed on them, ready for anything.

**DPOV**

"Next time you point that gun at me, I'm not gonna just disappear, understand?" Ruby tossed a shotgun at me.

I caught it, now sitting on the end of the bed, feeling a lot better. "You... saved my life."

She shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Liz came over with a cloth, handing it to me so I could clean my face as she turned to the demon. "What was that stuff?

"God, it was ass," I groaned. "It tasted like ass."

Ruby rolled her eyes at me. "It's called witchcraft, short bus." She turned and walked out, leaving Liz and I alone.

"You're the short bus... short bus," I mumbled.

Liz looked down at me. "You good? Can we go? Sam's gonna need all the help he can get."

"You think." Throwing the cloth over to the sink, I stood up. "But he took my car."

"What, and you've never stolen or hotwired a car before." Shaking her head, Liz headed over the door, leading the way as we left to go help my brother and kill the bitch that tried to kill me.

**SPOV**

I reconsidered the situation. There were three women, but only one was the demon...

"Okay, maybe it's not you..." Looking away from Elizabeth, I aimed at Renee. "Or you." I stopped the gun on the other woman. "Maybe it's you."

She sobbed looking terrified. "I don't even know what he's talking about. What are you even talking about?"

But it just made sense to me. "I mean, all of you, everyone in your little coven, you've all had runs of good fortune. Newsworthy good fortune. Except for you, Tammi. Now tell me, why is that? You didn't want anything for yourself? Or is it because you're already getting what you wanted. Like these women's souls."

"I can't- I-I'm not," she stuttered. "I-I-I don't..." she sighed, lowering her hands, going from scared to calm in a second or two. Then her eyes went black. "Nice dick work, Magnum."

"Let. My brother. Go."

"What's wrong? Couldn't find my hex bag? Sorry, sweetheart, but your brother's lungs should be on the floor by now."

I pulled the trigger.

Her hand raised quickly. The bullet slowed and stopped mid-air before falling to the ground. Renee and Elizabeth gasped, shocked and scared. I was starting to feel the same...

"You're in a lot of trouble, Sam." The demon grinned. She lifted her arm, sending to flying across the room and against the wall, holding me there with an invisible force.

Elizabeth shook with fear. "Tammi, what's wrong with your eyes?"

Tammi- the demon- turned to her, her eyes going back to normal as she grinned and kept her hold on me.

"Tammi, what are you doing?" Renee asked, just as scared.

"Renee, shut your painted hole."

"What? I-I will- you can't- not in my house, Tammi Fenton."

Annoyed, Tammi raised and waved her hand. Renee's head twisted and snapped so far it was facing backwards. She was dead in an instant. Her body fell to the floor as Elizabeth shrieked in terror, covering her mouth.

"Look. You got me. Let the girl go." I knew there was no hope for me at this point, but that didn't want Elizabeth to die.

"Wait your turn, young man," Tammi told me, before turning to Elizabeth, a wicked smile in place. "Shh, Elizabeth, it's okay."

Elizabeth stood there, still shaking. "You're not Tammi."

Tammi's smile turned to a grin as she tilted her head. "No, but I'm wearing her meat. I had to break the ice with you girls somehow."

"You killed Renee."

"Renee, Amanda..." Tammi shrugged, moving to stand in the middle of the room. "That's what happens to witches who get voted off the island."

"Who are you?"

Tammi gave a short laugh. "Funny story, actually. You remember all those dark demonic forces you prayed to, when you swore your servitude? Just who did you think you were praying to?"

"This-this isn't- it can't b-"

"What did you think it was? Make-believe? Positive thinking? _The Secret_? No, it was me. You sold yourself to me, you pig. All I had to do was bring one good book to Book Club, and you ladies lined up to kiss my ass."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, no, we didn't know-"

Tammi cut her off, "Oh, yes you did. You knew every step of the way, and now your ever livin' souls are mine." She turned to face both Elizabeth and myself, grin still firmly in place. "Comments? Questions?" When neither of us spoke, she hummed, moving over to me. "Sammy Winchester, _wow._ Right here in our little town. You know, my friends and I, we've been looking for you."

I rolled my eyes. "Why? Oh, right, 'cause I'm supposed to lead some piss poor demon army."

"No, not at all. You're not our Messiah. We don't believe in you. But, there's a new leader rising in the West. A _real_ leader. That's the horse to bet on, Sam, the one who's gonna tear this world apart. Thing is, this demon? It doesn't like you very much. It doesn't want the competition." She raised her hand, moving me further up the wall, pressing me into it more. "Nothing personal, it's a P.R. thing. So, buh-bye."

The wall began to shake and slowly, bit by bit, pieces started to fall off. I groaned in pain, feeling her hold on me tighten as she pushed me against the wall more and squeezed me tighter.

Out of nowhere, the door burst open as Dean rushed in the house. Turning to him quickly, Tammi had him flying across the room easily and quickly without breaking a sweat. She tossed him over a sofa and as he tried to get up she pinned him against the wall as well.

"Two for one." She looked to both of us, smiling. "Lovely."

She began to crush Dean as well, but was pushed back by an invisible force that was strong enough to stop her from crushing us, but not strong enough to make her let us go completely.

Lizzie glared at the demon. "Make that three, bitch."

"Look what we have here." Tammi straightened herself up, looking Lizzie up and down. "Elizabeth Rose Hart, in the flesh."

Lifting her hand, Lizzie pushed Tammi back again, making the demon stumble. It hadn't looked like it had done much, but as Tammi got her balance back and turned once more, she spat out some blood as she did.

She glared at Lizzie. "That wasn't very nice." Suddenly she threw Lizzie back, but she didn't manage to throw her as easily as she had with Dean and me.

Still, Lizzie landed on the floor and slid across the ground a couple of feet, a scratch appearing on her cheek. Recovering, Lizzie pulled herself up and gave just as much as she got. Dean and I watched as the two women fought without touching.

They both were bleeding, cut and sore. Lizzie was getting tired, but Tammi seemed to only be breaking the slightest sweat, as if she was going easy, as if this was fun. I'd seen the fight between Lizzie and Father Gil, they'd both been exhausted, I could only imagine how Lizzie was feeling now.

A powerful force had Lizzie thrown back so hard she hit the wall between Dean and I before she fell to the ground, unable to pull herself up again.

**EPOV**

The demon walked over to me, reaching down to grab me by the throat and lift me off the ground, pressing me against the wall. "This was fun. I like you." She grinned. "Why don't we make a deal? Your soul in exchange for Elizabeth over there." She gestured to the housewife over her shoulder. "One Elizabeth for another."

I glared at the demon. "I don't make deals with scum like you."

Seeming unfazed, Tammi looked at me curiously. "Deal wouldn't have been worth it anyway, we all know you can't die. Not permanently away." She shrugged casually as if this was known news. "Though you'd be one hell of a witch. Or a demon." Leaning forward, she sniffed my neck. "The potential is just _dripping_ off you."

I struggled against her, wanting nothing more than to rip her apart. But I was weak and she was too strong.

Her tongue ran along my skin before her teeth nipped and pulled at my earlobe. "I'm gonna enjoy ripping you apart until your perfect. The worst pain makes the best demons." Her hand let me go as she stepped back, but I stayed against the wall by an unseen force. "And we're gonna start by tearing apart two of the most important things in your life." Lifting her hand, she gestured to Sam and Dean before she slowly stated squeezing her hand shut.

The walls started to shake as Dean and Sam groaned in pain. Whatever she was doing, I could see that it was hurting them, and soon enough it would kill them.

"Wait!" We all looked over to see Ruby standing in the door way. She hesitated a moment before walking in. "Please. I just... came to talk."

Tammi looked shocked. "You made it out of the gate. Impressive. That was a bitch of a fight, wasn't it?"

"Doors out of Hell only open for so long."

"What do you want, Ruby?"

"I've been lost without you." Ruby answered, moving closer to Tammi. "Take me back. That's why I led the Winchesters here. Why I brought you new meat." She looked to me.

In the corner of my eye I could see Dean looking at Sam with pissed eyes. " _I told you so,_ " he mouthed to his brother.

Ruby smiled at the other demon. "They're for you... as a gift."

"Really?"

"Let me serve you again. I've wanted it. I've wanted you, for so long."

Rolling my eyes at the obvious innuendo, I found myself looking at Dean who was watching the interaction with interest. It was like the idea of 'hot' demon-woman on demon-woman action actually appealed to him. I just rolled my eyes some more.

Tammi looked Ruby up and down, her grin slowly returning. "You _were_ one of my best."

As she took the last step towards Tammi, Ruby's attitude suddenly changed as she quickly pulled out her knife- the one that kills demons- and lunged at Tammi. But Tammi caught it in mid-air, her smile gone, now replaced with a scowl.

"But then again, you always were a lying whore."

The knife was throw away as the two began to fight. Ruby tried to get in a few hits, but Tammi simply grabbed and threw her into the TV. Getting up, Ruby kicked out at Tammi, making her stumble back. She went to lunge, but Tammi was ready, punching her so hard Ruby fell to the ground. Grabbing her, Tammi threw Ruby again- this time through a bookshelf.

While Ruby struggled and failed to get up, Tammi grabbed a fire poker from the fire place, giving the other Elizabeth a look as she did so. With a weapon in hand she turned and moved over to Ruby who was still on the ground and in the mess of the broken shelving.

"You're really telling me you threw in your chips with Abbott and Costello here?" Tammi gestured to Sam and Dean with the poker. When Ruby tried to get up, Tammi hit her across the face with the poker.

As Tammi kept her back to her, Elizabeth looked to Dean, Sam and I before she snuck out of the room and into the next one. I didn't pay much attention as I focused on the two demons and tried to wriggle away from the wall.

Tammi sighed at Ruby. "Come on. Get up." But Ruby didn't move. "I said, get up!" Tossing the poker aside, Tammi crouched over Ruby, grabbing her jacket and lifting her up. "We've been here before, haven't we?" She chuckled, looking over at the rest of us on the wall. "She didn't tell you?" Without waiting for an answer, she looked to Ruby again. "Pretty mortifying, I guess. She was one of mine. I turned her out a long, long time ago. Ruby here was a witch. Of course, that was when you were human."

I was stunned, shocked, surprised, completely taken aback. Ruby, a demon, had once been human...

Tammi pushed Ruby back down. "Didn't want your friends to know that all those centuries back, you sold yourself to me? Embarrassing, I guess. But don't worry love, no secrets where you're heading remember?" She stood again and began to chant, causing black smoke to lift out of Ruby's mouth.

" _Monyé valack forsa,_

_ulu iri regatt ruac,_

_fieesh nieesh forthsa_

_lé inmist infirum forthsa por_

_un betest a té un fornalles ecclaisee-_ "

She was cut off as she began to cough. She continued until she started coughing up blood. Lifting her hand to her mouth, she drew it back to find needles in her palm. The distraction was enough to make her let go of Sam, Dean and me.

Looking at the pins with a tense jaw, she lifter her other hand and clenched it into a fist. I wasn't sure what had just happened, but I had a feeling it had something to do with Elizabeth Higgins…

While Tammi's focus had been elsewhere, Dean grabbed the demon-killing knife and moved over to the demon. With a few quick movements, he stabbed her in the side over and over until she stopped moving or making a sound. Once she was dead, he let her body fall to the ground.

With the demon dead, I tried to get up, but found myself stumbling the moment I got to my feet.

"Dean," Sam called his brother over as he moved to help me even though he was clearly struggling as well.

Two sets of arms helped stand me up. The room spun and my head- and everything else- hurt. But with Sam and Dean keeping me stable, I managed to stumble towards the door.

"Go. I'll clean up this mess," Ruby offered, sounding and looking a little embarrassed.

We didn't need to be told twice- not with the condition I was in. So, without another word and without looking back, we left the house and the demon.

**DPOV**

Walking back towards the hotel room at night, after getting some snacks from the vending machine, I came to a stop as the lights began to flicker. Looking around, I waited, knowing what was coming next.

Sure enough, standing in the parking lot a few feet away, Ruby appeared.

"So, the devil may care after all, is that what I'm supposed to believe?"

She shrugged, arms folded over her chest as she stepped into the light. "I don't believe in the devil."

"Wacky night." I started to walk towards her. "So let me get this straight, you were human once, you died, you went to hell, you became a..."

"Yeah." She gave a short nod and turned to leave, walking away.

"How long ago?"

Pausing, she answered without turning to me again. "Back when the plague was big."

I frowned, not getting it. "So all of 'em. Every damn demon. They were all human once?"

Facing me now, she gave another shrug as if she didn't care. "Everyone I've ever met."

"Well, they sure don't act like it."

"Most of them have forgotten what it means, or even that they were. That's what happens when you go to Hell, Dean. That's what Hell is. Forgetting what you are."

Sighing, a grin forming on my lips, I shook my head. "Philosophy lesson from a demon. I'll pass, thanks."

"It's not philosophy. It's not a metaphor. There's a real fire in the pit. Agonies you can't even imagine."

"No, I saw 'Hellraiser'. I get the gist."

She turned to walk away again. "Actually, they got that pretty close. Except for all the custom leather." Stopping once more, she hesitated before looking over at me. "The answer is yes, by the way."

"I'm sorry?" I asked, genuinely not understanding what she meant.

"Yes, the same thing will happen to you. It might take centuries, but sooner or later Hell will burn away your humanity. Every Hell-bound soul, everyone, turns into something else. Turns you into us. So yeah. Yeah, you can count on it."

Her words made something very clear to me. "There's no way of saving me from the Pit, is there?"

Letting out a long sigh, she finally told the truth. "No."

"Then why'd you tell Sam that you could?"

"So he would talk to me. You Winchesters can be pretty bigoted. I needed something to help him get past the-"

I cut her off. "The demon thing? It's pretty hard to get past."

She gave a bitter laugh. "Look at you. Tryin' to be all stoic. My god, it's heartbreaking."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"I need your help."

"Help with what?"

"With Sam. The way you stuck that demon tonight, it was pretty tough. Sam's almost there, but not quite. You need to help me get him ready. For life without you. To fight this war on his own." This time when she turned to leave, I knew she was done, but I wasn't.

"Ruby!" I called after her, causing her to stop. "Why do you want us to win?"

Turning to face me for the last time. "Isn't it obvious? I'm not like them. I don't know why. I- I wish I was, but... I'm not. I remember what it's like."

"What what's like?"

"Being human."

Looking down at the ground I wondered for a moment. I wondered how long it would take before I'd become a demon. If I would hold on to my humanity. If I would remember anything. If I'd be like the rest of them, or if I'd be like Ruby.

When I looked up to face her again, I found myself standing in the middle of the parking lot alone. That was when I realised that in the end none of it mattered, I'd still be a demon and I'd be alone.

**Bamby**


	19. Just Sleeping

**SPOV**

I sat at a bar, _Long Train Running_ by the Doobie Brothers played in the background as I looked down at the half full glass of whiskey in front of me. I tilted the glass back and forward, in deep thought. All the hope I'd had the last few months seemed to have come to an end.

Dean's time was coming closer and I didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't know how to save him.

"There you are." _Speak of the devil._ I turned to see Dean walking up to me, worried. "What are you doing?" he asked.

I gave a simply shrug. "Having a drink."

"It's two in the afternoon. You're drinking whiskey?"

"I drink whiskey all the time."

"No, you don't," he argued.

"What's the big deal? You get sloppy in bars, you hit on chicks all the time," I noted. "Why can't I?"

He took a look around at the bar, noticing the older waitress and another woman, neither of which either of us would be interested. "It's kind of slim pickings around here." He turned back to me. "Liz and I have been looking all over for you. What's going on with you?"

Shaking my head, I didn't say anything right away as I looked down at my glass for moment or two before speaking again. "I tried, Dean."

"To do what?" Dean asked, clearly confused.

"To save you."

Sighing, Dean took a seat next to me as he nodded to the bartender. "Can I get a whiskey? Double, neat."

I shook my head at him again. "I'm serious, Dean."

"No, you're drunk."

"I mean, where you're going... what you're gonna become." I felt my eyes begin to water. Scoffing to hide my emotions, I went on. "I can't stop it." Looking down at my drink I admitted something I'd been trying to deny for a while now. "I'm starting to think maybe even Ruby can't stop it. But really, the thing is, no one can save you."

He shrugged. "What I've been telling you."

I looked to him again. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean, no one can save you, because you don't wanna be saved. I mean, how can you care so little about yourself?" When Dean scoffed and smiled, I sighed, getting agitated. "What's wrong with you?"

Before Dean could answer his phone started to ring. Answering it, he didn't hesitate to talk. "It's fine, Liz, I found-" He stopped, frowning as he began to stand up, something clearly wrong. "Liz, slow down. What's wrong?" There was another pause. His eyes locked on to mine as he spoke again. "Pack up the room. We'll be there in less than ten minutes," he told her before hanging up. "Liz just got a call from a hospital. Something's wrong with Bobby."

That's all he had to say. I was suddenly sober as I got up and we headed for the exit. Bobby was family. It didn't matter where the hospital was, if there was something wrong we'd be there.

**EPOV**

I stood next to Bobby's bed, looking down at his sleeping form. His unmoving, un-waking form. Everything I was feeling in that moment... I hadn't been that scared in years. Bobby was the only father figure I'd ever really had, he wasn't just my surrogate father, he _was_ my father. Losing him... I'd never be the same.

"So, what's the diagnosis?" Sam asked from where he and Dean stood at the end of the bed, looking to the doctor.

The doctor shook his head. "We've tested everything we can think to test. He seems perfectly healthy."

"Except that he's comatose," Dean noted, a tone in his voice that told me how worried he was. Bobby meant as much to Sam and Dean as he did to me.

The doctor turned to me. "Miss Snyderson, you're his emergency contact. Anything we should know? Any illnesses?"

"No, he-he..." I found it hard to speak, feeling my throat get tight as I tried not to cry. "He n-n-never gets sick."

"He doesn't even catch cold," Dean added as he came over to wrap an arm around my waist comfortingly.

Sam looked over at me and then at Bobby before turning to the doctor again. "Doctor, is there anything you can do?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but we don't know what's causing it... so we don't know how to treat it. He just... went to sleep, and didn't wake up."

**DPOV**

Sam and I walked into Bobby's hotel room. We'd left Liz back at the hospital. She hadn't wanted to leave Bobby's side. Honestly, none of us had wanted to leave him, but we all knew the only way to figure out how to help him is to figure out what happened to him, and the only way to figure that out is to go digging.

"So, what was Bobby doing in Pittsburgh?" Sam asked.

I shrugged. "Unless he's taking an extremely lame vacation..." Closing the door behind me, I moved to stand in the middle of the room with Sam.

"I mean, he must have been working a job, right?"

"Well, you think there'd be some sort of sign of something, you know?" I noted as I headed over to the chest of drawers. Sam was right behind me, but as we opened a drawer up each, we found they were empty. In fact, the whole room was spotless. "Research, news clippings. Or a frigging pizza box or a beer can."

Sam stepped away from the dresser and over to the wardrobe, I watched as he opened the door and found some clothes hanging up. Pushing them aside, he nodded, having found something.

"How 'bout this?" He flicked on the wardrobe light.

As I moved over to check it out we found that the inside wall was covered in newspaper clippings, maps and pictures. The pictures were of roots, mushrooms and seeds. A map had to word 'Pittsburgh' written in big letters and underlined- I recognised Bobby's handwriting. There were post-it's with addresses and numbers. There was all the information a hunter might need.

I chuckled lightly. "Good old Bobby, always covering up his tracks."

"You make heads or tails of any of this?"

Reaching forward, I took one of the papers about plants and began to read. "' _Silene capensis_ ', which of course means absolutely nothing to me."

"Here." Sam grabbed a newspaper clipping. "Obit. ' _Dr. Walter Gregg, 64, university neurologist_ '."

"How'd he bite it?"

"Um... actually, they don't know. They say he just went to sleep and didn't wake up."

I took the clipping from him and read it, seeing a lot of similarities. "That sound familiar to you?"

"All right, um... so, let's say Bobby was looking into the doc's death. You know, hunting after something-"

I cut him off, "That started hunting him."

He nodded. "Yeah."

"All right, stay here. See if you can make heads or tails of this." I gestured to the closet. "I know at least one person who might be able to answer some of our questions."

"Lizzie," he noted. "But what are you gonna do?"

Turning away from him, I started for the door. "I'm gonna look into the good doctor myself." I called over my shoulder as I left.

...

Walking into Dr Gregg's office, I found books and boxes cluttered all over the room. It was clear everything of his was already being removed despite the fact he only passed away recently. I found it a little insensitive but at the same time didn't really care.

"So you're Dr Gregg's lab assistant?" I asked Miss Sanders as she followed me into the room.

She gave a short nod. "That's right."

"Well, his death must have come as a shock to you," I noted, moving to his desk.

"Yeah, it did. But, still, go in your sleep, peaceful... that's what you wish for, right?"

"Yeah. Right." I grabbed a book from the desk, taking a look at it. "Dr Gregg uh... studied sleeping disorders? Dreams?" I asked, showing her the book.

Her face changed, going from polite to uneasy. "I don't understand. I went over all of this with the other detective."

I looked to her curiously as I put the book back down on the desk. "You already spoke to another detective?"

"Yes. A very nice older man with a beard."

"Well, I'd love to hear it again if you don't mind."

"Thing is, I'm sort of busy. Maybe we could do this later?"

It was obvious that she was trying to dodge me and my questions. But I wasn't letting her go that easily. "Sure. Yeah. Just bring you down to the station later this afternoon," her face fell as I went on, "and get your statement on tape, do it all official-like."

"Look, okay, I didn't know about Dr Gregg's experiments. Not until I was cleaning out his files."

"His experiments, uh...? The ones he was conducting on... sleeping?"

"No one knew, okay? Not the university, not anybody. I already spoke with a lawyer and he told me I can't be held liable for anything."

"Maybe you couldn't, but that was before the new evidence came to light," I lied through my teeth.

She suddenly looked more nervous. "New evidence?"

"Mm-hm."

"What new evidence?"

I thought of a quick answer. "I'm not at liberty to say."

She gave a sigh, clearly annoyed by the whole situation. "Look, I'm just a grad student. This was a gig to cover tuition."

"Maybe so. But, uh, still, this- this..." I gestured around the room. "This could go on your permanent record. Unless you hand over the doctor's research to me. All of it."

**SPOV**

I walked into Bobby's hospital room, finding Lizzie sitting next to him, holding his hand as she looked out the window deep in thought. I wasn't really sure how the two met, but it was clear they meant a lot to each other. She was his emergency contact, that meant something.

Clearing my throat, I got her attention. "Hey." I offered her a smile as she turned to me.

"Hey." She gave a small, half smile that didn't reach her eyes. "What did you guys find?"

I knew Lizzie enough to know that she didn't like beating around the bush. If I was here for help, she'd want me to get to it. So I did.

Walking over to stand by her, I offered some of the research I'd brought along. "I was wondering if you could help me with Silene cap-"

She cut me off, looking at the papers. "Silene capensis? It's an African Dream Root. I haven't seen the stuff in years. It's rare, expensive, and powerful."

Listening and watching Lizzie, there was a second there where I understood how Dean felt... Lizzie did seem to know a lot. At least she seemed to know a little about a lot of things. Either way, she usually had some helpful information, just like now.

"African Dream Root?" I asked, hoping she'd go into detail- she did.

"It's a plant you digest and gives you abilities in dreams. You can make bad dreams good, and vise versa. It may not seem so bad, but it's dangerous. If Bobby was researching a case involving the stuff..." She shook her head, looking up at me. "It's not good."

**DPOV**

Still dressed as a detective- only now for the Pittsburgh police department- I showed my badge to Jeremy Frost, one of Dr Gregg's patience.

He moved out of the way so I could step into his apartment. "Look, I don't know what the RA said, but, ah, I was growing ferns."

I chuckled lightly, walking in to stand in the middle of the room. "Take it easy, Phish, that's not why I'm here."

"Really?" he asked, when I turned to give him a reassuring nod he relaxed a little. "Oh, thank God. Okay."

"I wanna talk to you about Dr Gregg's sleep study."

"Yeah. Dr Gregg just died, right?"

"You were one of his test subjects, right?"

"Yeah." He turned and opened his fridge, pulling out two beers and offered me one. "Unless you're on duty or, whatever?"

I looked to the offered drink for a moment or two before making my mind up and taking it. "I guess I can make an exception."

Taking the bottle, I opened and brought it to my lips, enjoying the cool and refreshing taste. If Sam had been here he would have stopped me. If Liz had been here she would have shaken her head and grinned at me. But I was on my own, and I was gonna do whatever I wanted.

After another moment, I turned back to Jeremy, getting on with the interview. "Now, Dr Gregg was testing treatments for a, uh, ' _Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome_ '? Which means...?"

"Um... I, uh... I can't dream." When I looked surprised, Jeremy went on. "I had this bike accident when I was a kid and banged my head pretty good and I haven't had a dream since. Till the study. You know. Sort of."

"What'd the doc give you?"

"It's this yellow tea. It... it smelled awful, tasted worse."

"What did it do? "

"Just passed right out. And uh, I had the most vivid, super-intense dream. Like a bad acid trip, you know?"

"Totally." Remembering that I was meant to be a cop, I corrected myself and go back into character. "I mean, no."

"That was it. I dropped out of the study right after that. I didn't... like it. To tell you the truth... it kind of scared me."

**SPOV**

"How is he?"

I looked over to see Dean walking into Bobby's room. "No change," I answered.

Dean looked around, confused. "Where's Liz?"

"I convinced her to go get some food. Thought it would do her some good."

He nodded, seeming to agree. "So, what you got?" he asked, moving over to me.

He'd called me on his way to the hospital and filled me in on everything he found out about Dr Gregg and the experiments he doctor was performing. During the conversation, we also agreed it would be best to keep the fact the doctor was dead from Lizzie. She wasn't dealing with Bobby's condition as well as Dean and I were. If she thought Bobby was in more danger than she already suspected, it wasn't going to help.

Getting straight to it, I began to tell him everything Lizzie and I learnt. "Well, considering what you told me about the doc's experiments..." I sighed, "Bobby's wall is starting to make a hell of a lot more sense."

"How so?"

I held up a picture of the Silene capensis plant. "This plant, Silene capensis, is also known as African Dream Root. It's been used by shaman and medicine men for centuries."

"Let me guess. They dose up, bust out the didgeridoos, start kicking around the hackey."

"Not quite. If you believe the legends, it's used for dream walking. I mean, entering another person's dreams, poking around in their heads."

"I take it we believe the legends"

We shared a look before I answered, "When don't we?" Never, by the way. We always believe them. "But dream walking is just the tip of the iceberg."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this Dream Root is some serious mojo. You take enough of it, with practice, you can become a regular Freddy Krueger. You can control anything. You could turn bad dreams good, you could turn good dreams bad."

"And killing people in their sleep?"

I gave a short nod. "For example. So let's say uh, let's say this doc was testing this stuff on his patients, Tim Leary-style."

"Somebody gets pissed at him, decides to give him a little dream visit, he goes nighty-night."

"But what about Bobby?" I asked, looking over at Bobby as he 'slept' in the bed nearby. "I mean, if the killer came after him, how come he's still alive?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know."

**DPOV**

Walking out of Bobby's room, we started for the vending machines, hoping to find Liz on the way.

"So how do we find our homicidal sandman?" I asked.

Sam shrugged. "Could be anyone."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Anyone who knew the doctor, had access to his dream shrooms."

"Maybe one of his test subjects or something?" Sam suggested.

"Possible. But his research was pretty sketchy. I mean... I don't know how many subjects he had, or who all of them were." When Sam scoffed I looked at him confused. "What?"

He gave a loud sigh. "In any other case, we'd be calling Bobby and asking him for help right now."

An idea occurred to me then, causing me to stop in my tracks. I grabbed Sam and stopped him too. "You know what? You're right."

It was his turn to look confused. "What?"

"Let's go talk to him."

Now he looked even more confused. "Sure. I think we might find the conversation a bit one-sided."

"Not if we're tripping on some Dream Root."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"You wanna go dream walking inside Bobby's head?"

I gave a simple shrug. "Yeah. Why not? Maybe we could help."

"We have no idea what's crawling around in there."

"Well how bad could it be?"

" _Bad_."

"Dude, it's Bobby."

He considered it for a moment before giving a short nod. "Yeah, you're right." He hesitated as if realising something. "One problem though. We're fresh out of African Dream Root, so unless you know someone who can score some..."

One name came to my mind then. "Crap."

"What?"

"Bela."

"Bela?" He looked confused again before his face fell as he understood. "Crap. You're actually suggesting we ask her a favour?"

"I'm feeling dirty just thinking about it, but yeah," I noted before I started walking down the hall again to find Liz.

**EPOV**

I sat on the couch in Bobby's hotel room. Dean sat across from me, his hand absentmindedly massaging my ankle as my feet rested in his lap, while his were stretched out onto the bed across from us. We were going through some information on the Dream Root.

On the other side of the room was Sam, who'd fallen asleep at the desk and was now drooling as he moaned and mumbled. He was enjoying himself, whatever the dream may be about.

"Hey." Dean's hand moved to my calf. _So maybe it hadn't been an absentminded massage..._ "You got anything?"

Sighing, I shook my head as I reached down and put the papers on the floor. "Nothing I didn't already know."

"Maybe we need a break." He grinned, moving to place his papers down as well, his other hand slowly running further up my leg. His intentions were blatantly obvious.

"I'm not having sex with you in Bobby's hotel room, with Sam right at the desk. It's weird."

Dean gave a slight shrug. "He's fast asleep. We'll be quite."

"When are we ever quiet?" I couldn't keep myself from grinning back. "You're always trying to make me moan."

"And scream." He shifted so his knee was on the couch as he started to move himself on top of me. "Screams from you are rare. Makes me feel good."

"Sex makes you feel good," I noted with a raised eyebrow. "And don't think for a second that this," I gestured between us, "is happening. We're still in Bobby's room, and Sam is still-"

His hand slid to the inside of my thigh, mere inches from my underwear. Heat was radiating off both of us as I fell silent and closed my eyes, forgetting why I didn't want anything to happen.

All thoughts were focused on everything Dean was doing as he massaged my inner thigh, fingers inching closer and closer to my underwear. All I could think about is how much I wanted him to do more. I needed more. Sex was a great way to relieve stress, and lately we'd all been stressing out…

I let out a gentle sigh as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss to my neck. He was hovering over me now, his own body heat pressing against me as his hand moving closer and closer...

A moan from Sam brought me back to reality.

My eyes snapped opened just as Dean pulled away and looked over at his brother with a groan. "Son of a..." Looking at me again, Dean knew there was no way anything that might have happened would happen now.

I reached over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back quickly. "After we fix Bobby and everything, we'll do whatever you want."

His eyes went wide, surprised and excited. "Really?"

I laughed lightly, nodding. "Really."

With a smug smile, he pulled away and got back onto his spot before looking over to his brother. "Sam, wake up!"

It took a moment before Sam woke and sat up, wiping the drool off his face. Both Dean and I chuckled at the sight as we got back to research. It was as if the sexual heat that had been pressing on me moments ago, hadn't been here at all.

Dean grinned. "Dude, you were out. And making some serious happy noises. Who were you dreaming about?"

"What? No one. Nothing," Sam answered a little too quickly.

"C'mon, you can tell me. Angelina Jolie?"

"No."

"Brad Pitt?" Dean asked, earning a gentle nudge from my foot as it rested in his lap again.

Sam turned around, almost looking at Dean and I as he snapped. "No. No! Dude, it doesn't matter."

"Whatever." Dean shrugged. "Liz called Bela."

It took a moment or two before Sam awkwardly responded. "Bela? Yeah? She- what'd she... You know, say? She... gonna... help us?"

"No. Which isn't much of a surprise," I sighed.

"That puts us back to square one," Dean added. "We've been trying to decipher the doctor's notes. Unfortunately, he has worse handwriting than you do." When Sam stayed where he was and said nothing more, Dean looked over at him again. "You gonna come help with this stuff? "

Sam shifted, stretching a little. "Yeah, yeah. Just give me a sec."

 _Is it just me, or is Sam being... odd?_ I watched him, wondering why he was acting a little strange. Was it about the dream he'd been having? Or had he heard Dean and me?

A knock on the door pulled my attention away from the youngest Winchester.

"I got it." Taking my feet off Dean's lap, I moved to answer the door. Before opening completely, I looked through the crack and sighed. "Bela." Letting her in, I watched as she moved to stand in the middle of the room and turn to me.

"You called me. Remember?"

"I remember you turning me down."

She grinned. "When have I ever turned you down."

Without a word, Dean got up and moved to stand next to me. I couldn't help but feel a little bit of jealousy and protectiveness coming from him.

From over at the desk, Sam spoke up. "Hey, Bela. What's going on?" He gave her a little wave.

Dean and I looked to him, confused for a moment, before we both turned back to Bela, waiting expectantly.

"I brought you your African Dream Root." Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out a jar of the stuff and handed it to me. "Nasty stuff, and not easy to come by," she noted as she began to take off her coat.

"We know," I told her as I handed Dean the jar.

He took the jar, looking at the contents before asking, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"What? I can't do you a little favour every now and again?"

"No. You can't," Dean and I answered at the same time.

A smile formed on her lips as she looked from me, to Dean and then back. "Aren't you two adorable?"

Dean ignored her comment, pressing for a genuine answer. "Come on, I wanna know what the strings are before you attach them."

"You said this was for Bobby Singer, right?" When I gave a nod, she went on. "Well, I'm doing it for him. Not you."

I frowned. "Bobby? Why?"

"He saved my life once," she answered. "In Flagstaff."

"Why don't I know about this?"

She sighed at my question. "I screwed up and he saved me. I begged him not to tell you. It would be too embarrassing, and that was back when I cared about what you thought of me, okay? Are you satisfied?"

"Maybe." Dean shrugged, walking past her and towards the wardrobe where a safe sat.

She watched him, changing the subject. "So when do we go on this little magical mystery tour?"

"Oh, you're not going anywhere. I don't trust you enough to let you in my car, much less Bobby's head. No offence," Dean told her as he placed the jar in the safe where the Colt sat.

Bela sighed. "None taken." She waited until Dean finished with the safe before she turned to me expectantly. When all I did was shrug, she sighed again. "It's 2 am. Where am I supposed to go?"

"Get a room," Dean suggested with a short grin. "Ah, they got the Magic Fingers, a little Casa Erotica on pay-per-view. You'll love it."

"You-" Shaking her head, she grabbed the coat and handbag, storming to the door.

Sam jumped out of his seat, calling out to her as she left. "Nice to- Seeing you-" He was cut off as she slammed the door, ignoring him. "Bela," he finished with a sigh.

One again, Dean and I looked at him confused.

...

Sitting next to Dean on one of the beds, I watched as he grabbed two cups from Sam who had just finished making the three of us some tea out of the Dream root.

"Here." Dean handed me one of the cups.

I offered him a quick smile. "Thanks."

Turning to Sam just as he sat down, Dean looked down at the yellowish-brown mud-like looking drink. "Uh, should we dim the lights and synch up Wizard of Oz to Dark Side of the Moon?" He grinned.

"Why?" Sam asked, clearly clueless as to what Dean was going on about. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

Dean looked genuinely disappointed. "What did you do during college?"

When Sam just looked at Dean as if to say, 'huh', Dean shook his head before moving to take a drink.

"Wait!" I lifted my hand to stop him, putting my hand in between his cup and lips- which ended in his lips lightly pressing against my hand.

Pulling back- a smug look in his eyes- Dean looked over at me. "What?"

"Here." I pulled a small envelope from one of my leather jacket's pockets. Reaching a few fingers inside, I pulled out some hair and moved to sprinkle a little in each of our drinks. "It's Bobby's hair. " I answered their questioning looks. "In order to control whose dream you're entering, you gotta drink some of their body."

Dean looked down at his drink as the hair floated on top. "Well, guess the hair of the dog is better than other parts of the body." Giving a light shrug, he lifted his cup in somewhat of a toast. "Bottoms up."

Sam did not look ready for this. "Yeah. "

The three of us clinked our glasses together before we downed the liquid as quickly as we could.

It tasted awful. I mean, I have never _ever_ had anything like that. It was as if I was eating an old, mouldy sock, that had been stewing in a pot of sweat, dirt and ass. Just a whole lot of ass. There were also indistinguishable flavours, but they were the worst and I was trying really hard not to think about them.

…

_After lowering his cup and waiting a moment or two, Dean spoke. "Feel anything?"_

_"No." Sam shook his head and looked to me. "You feel anything?"_

_"Nope," I sighed._

_Dean lifted his cup, looking at the remaining contents which consisted of a few drops or so. "Maybe we got some bad shwag."_

_Thunder in the distance was heard, drawing our attention to the fact that it was now raining..._

_Sam looked over at the window, confused. "Hey, when did it start raining?"_

_Dean and I looked over at the window as well. It was Dean who got up to check though. He stood and handed me his cup as he moved to go check outside. But as he pulled the curtain back, what we all saw was extremely odd..._

_The rain was 'falling'_ up _._

_Sam and I stood as Dean turned to us again. "When did it start raining upside down?"_

_As Dean turned, the room changed. We were no longer in the hotel room, but instead in a dull and dim living room._

_Looking around, Dean seemed to be freaking out the most. "Okay, I don't know what's weirder, the fact that we're in Bobby's head... or that he's dreaming of Better Homes and Gardens."_

_"Guys..." I moved to the wall and ran my hand over the paint. "Imagine the place without the paint job. More cluttered, dusty, books all over the place..."_

_Both brothers realised what I was getting at, at the same time. "It's Bobby's house."_

_Smiling lightly, I nodded. "Yeah."_

_"Bobby?!" Dean called out, walking closer to me._

_Sam went the opposite way, moving to the opening of the living room by the stairs. "Bobby?" he whispered. "Guys?" He turned to us, no longer whispering. "I'm gonna go look outside."_

_Dean shook his head. "No, no, no, stay close."_

_"Dude, I'll be fine," Sam insisted. "Just, look around in here. Look, we gotta find him."_

_Seeing that his brother wasn't going to listen, Dean didn't bother arguing. "Don't do anything stupid."_

_With a simple nod from Sam, he walked out the front door. A moment or two later he closed the door behind him._

**SPOV**

_After I stepped out into the porch, I was more confused than ever. Instead of a dark a dreary junk yard, the yard in front of me was bright, colourful and lively. The sun was shining, birds singing, colourful flowers in the garden. It was a technicolour, white picket fence cliché._

_Behind me, the door suddenly slammed shut._

_I turned and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "Dean!" Walking to the window, I looked in to see Lizzie and Dean still in the living room. "Lizzie!"_

_Try as I might, they couldn't hear me yelling. They couldn't even hear me banging my fist on the wall._

Great _..._

**EPOV**

_"Stay close," Dean told me as he grabbed the handles of the kitchen doors before sliding them open._

_The whole house seemed so... normal. Clean, painted, furnished. It was as if a real family. Like ordinary people lived here. Bobby's place now was a bit of a mess- a huge mess if I'm being honest. But it was him, and I loved it. Walking in this home... I did not feel right at all._

_Dean moved through the kitchen and towards the hallway on the other side. I was a step or two behind him, watching our surroundings closely. Since appearing in Bobby's dream, I hadn't been able to shake the feeling that we were being watched._

_"Bobby?" Dean called in a hushed voice as he walked into the hallway and turned to me. He gestured for me to come closer, a look in his eyes telling me he was on edge as well. "Bobby!"_

_"Who's out there?" The voice was faint, and scared, but it was Bobby's._

_We both turned to the door closest to us. The hallway closet door. I step closer to it, running my fingers over the many scratches running along the wood. It looked as if someone had made these marks with their_ nails _._

_Resting his ear against the door as he reached for the doorknob, Dean spoke. "Bobby, you in there?"_

_"Dean?"_

_"Yeah. It's me, Liz too. Open up."_

_Bobby opened the door and looked slightly relieved for a moment before he looked over our shoulders. He was quite clearly terrified. "How in the hell did you find me?"_

_"Sam, Liz and I got our hands on some of that Dream Root stuff," Dean answered._

_Bobby looked confused. "Dream Root? What?"_

_"Dr Gregg, the experiments?" Dean tried to remind him._

_Bobby threw him a glance. "What the hell are you talking about?" Before Dean or I could answer, the lights began to flicker. "Hurry." He grabbed my arm and rushed for the closet again._

_Dean grabbed Bobby and stopped him quickly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on?"_

_"She's coming." Was all Bobby said, in his scared and shaking voice._

_I rested my hand on Bobby's. "This is a dream, Bobby. You know that, right?"_

_"What are you, crazy?"_

_"It's a dream, Bobby! None of this is real!" Dean snapped._

_But as he spoke, a door opened behind him. My eyes went wide as I watched a woman dressed in white with blood on her chest, walked into the hallway. It took a moment or two, but I recognised her from some photos I'd seen before... it was Mrs Singer, Bobby's wife._

_Bobby pointed over Dean's shoulder and to his wife. "Does that look made-up?"_

_As the three of us looked to the woman who was slowly stepping closer and closer, the closet door slammed shut behind us. Bobby turned and tried to open it again, but there was no use, it wouldn't budge._

_Knowing there was no exit, Dean turned to the woman, needing to know what we were dealing with. "Bobby, who is that?"_

_Bobby's voice shook more as he answered, leaning against the door as much as he could. "She's... she's my wife."_

**DPOV**

_"Go." I grabbed Liz's arm and pulled her towards the kitchen. "Go!" Both Bobby and Liz moved for the kitchen as I backed up, keeping an eye on Mrs Singer. My priority at that moment was to keep Bobby and Liz alive. "Get to the living room," I told them._

_Turning, I moved to rush as well. Reaching the doors of the living room just as Mrs Singer spoke._

_"Why Bobby?" she asked, causing Bobby to pause and turned to her. "Why did you do this to me?"_

_"I'd rather died myself than hurt you," Bobby assured her._

_"But you did hurt me. You shoved that knife into me. Again, and again. You watched me bleed. Watched me die."_

_Moving closer to Bobby, I grabbed a hold of his arm. "Bobby, she's not real."_

_"How could you?" Mrs Singer continued._

_Bobby was close to crying as he shook his head at his wife. "You were possessed, baby. You were rabid. And I didn't know what I know now. I didn't know how to save you."_

_"You're lying. You wanted me dead! If you'd loved me," she was yelling now, getting more and more worked up, "you would've found a way!"_

_A small sob escaped Bobby. "I'm sorry."_

_"Come on!" Being more forceful as I grabbed him this time, I pulled Bobby into the living room._

_Mrs Singer screamed as she started for the doors, but just as she was about to reach them, Liz lifted her arms and closed the doors with her mind._

_..._

_Liz was still keeping the doors closed, but I could see it was taking a toll on her, which is why I was now leaning on the doors trying to help her keep them shut. Bobby on the other hand was still very clearly scared and unable to do anything as his wife continued to scream on the other side._

_"I'm telling you, all of it. Your house, your wife, it's a nightmare!" I tried to get it through his head._

_"I killed her," Bobby cried._

_Sighing, I moved away from the doors in the hopes that Liz could handle it as I grabbed Bobby's shoulders. "Bobby! This is your dream. And you can wake up. I mean, hell, you can do anything."_

_"Just leave me alone. Let her kill me already."_

_"Look at me." I shook him. "You gotta snap out of this now! You're not gonna die. I'm not gonna let you die. You're like a father to me. You gotta believe me, please."_

_Bobby hesitated a moment, looking from me, to the door, to Liz and then back. "I'm dreaming?"_

_"Yes!" I snapped. "Now take control of it."_

_Turning to the door, Bobby closed his eyes tightly as if he were thinking hard, and suddenly, the banging and screaming stopped._

_Liz didn't move at first, still holding the door until I let go of Bobby and moved to open them. Sliding the doors open I cautiously looked out, ready for Mrs Singer to jump out at any moment._

_But she didn't. She was no longer there. Instead, all I found was Bobby's empty kitchen._

_"I don't believe it." Bobby was completely shocked._

_I turned around, breathing heavily, slightly out of breath. "Believe it. Now would you please wake up?"_

**SPOV**

_Walking around Bobby's garden, I came across the clothesline where clean, white sheets were hanging. The whole place was surreal. It was all so clean, and bright and oddly perfect. It felt more wrong than Bobby's dull living room had felt._

_As I turned, I wasn't prepared to see a guy standing there. I also wasn't prepared for him to hit me with a baseball bat. I fell to the ground, holding my shoulder, groaning in pain as I looked up at him standing over me._

_"Who are you?"_

_"Who are you?" he asked back, oddly clam. "You don't belong here."_

_"You're one to talk. You're in my friend's head."_

_"You got a poor choice in friends. This is self-defence. He came after me. He wanted to hurt me."_

_"That may be because you're a killer," I countered._

_"You should be nicer to me. In here... you're just an insect. I'm a god." The guy lifted the baseball bat, aiming at my head. "Sweet dreams."_

_I lifted my arm, flinching, waiting for the hit as the bat began to come down hard and fast..._

**Bamby**


	20. A Little Dream

**EPOV**

I sat up with a start, panting hard. I was aware of the guys next to me, waking up as well, but before I could check to see if they were okay I was hit with a dizzy spell that had me falling towards the edge of the bed.

"Whoa!" Dean reacted quickly, grabbing me before I could fall. Pulling me over so I leaned on him, he watched me carefully until I seemed to be okay. "No more mind tricks for you."

...

I sat on the bed with Bobby, at the end, watching him as he flicked through some paperwork. I was still worried about him. There was no way in hell that I was going to leave him alone for a while. Hell, I was thinking about hunting with him instead, just for a few weeks at least, until I was sure he'd be okay.

"Hey, Bobby," Dean spoke up from where he sat next to the bed. "That, uh... that stuff, all that stuff with your wife? That actually happen?"

Bobby looked over at him, answering simply. "Everybody got into hunting somehow."

Dean looked away, feeling guilty for bringing it up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. If it weren't for you-" Bobby looked to me then. "Both of you. I'd still be lost in there. Or dead." There was a beat as he turned to Dean again before finishing. "Thank you."

Dean's only response was a slight nod and a twitch of his lips. While I reached out and grabbed Bobby's hand, offering him a smile. Dean had said Bobby was like a father to him. But to me, Bobby was the only father I knew.

"So, uh," Sam walked in to the hospital room then, "stoner boy wasn't in his dorm. My guess is he's long gone by now."

"He ain't much of a stoner," Bobby commented, picking up a picture of the guy who'd put him in the coma.

Dean looked surprised and confused. "No?"

"No. His name's Jeremy Frost. Full-on genius. Hundred-and-sixty IQ. Which is sayin' some, considering his dad took a baseball bat to his head. Here's Father of the Year." Bobby put the photo down and grabbed a piece of paper before handing it over to Sam. "He died before Jeremy was 10."

"Looks like a real sweetheart." Sam was clearly being sarcastic.

"Injury gave him Charcot-Wilbrand. He hasn't dreamt since," Bobby noted, talking about Jeremy again.

"'Till he started dosing the dream drug," Dean added.

Bobby gave a short nod. "Yep."

But there was one thing I just didn't understand... "How'd he get to you?" I asked. "How'd he know your worst nightmare? I mean, doesn't he need some of your DNA or something?"

"Yeah. 'Fore I knew it was him, he offered me a beer. I drank it." Bobby shook his head, not exactly happy with himself. "Dumbest frigging thing."

"Oh, I don't know. It wasn't that dumb." Dean gave a nervous laugh.

We all turned to him seeing the look on his face.

Sam sighed. "Dean, you didn't."

"I was thirsty."

Sam was pissed. "That's great. Now he can come after either one of you."

I felt my heart began to race as my worry returned. "Dean..."

He stood and stepped over to me without really thinking, my worry moving him. "Look, it'll be fine. We'll find the guy and stop him. It'll be fine. We just have to find him first," he tried reassuring me.

Instinctively, I let him grab my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine as they lay in my lap. His eyes stayed glue to mine, watching, searching, understanding my concern.

"We better work fast... and coffee up," Bobby ordered. "Because the one thing we cannot do, is fall asleep."

**DPOV**

Two days. It had been two days and we still hadn't found Jeremy, and I still hadn't slept yet. Bobby and Liz were working with Bela, trying to find him using the spirit board, while Sam and I were on the road, looking all over the place.

The whole situation had me pissed. Being exhausted wasn't helping. "I mean, this Jeremy guy's not a friggin' ghost. Where the hell could he be?"

"Dean, you sure you don't want me to drive? You seem a little..." Sam looked over at me from the passenger seat, "caffeinated."

"Well, thanks for the news flash, Edison!" I snapped back. My phone began to ring then. As I fumbled for it, mumbling angrily to myself, I eventually pulled it out of my pocket and brought it to my ear. "Tell me you got something!"

" _Dean... strip club was a bust?_ "

Hearing Liz's voice, I calmed a little... just a little. "Yeah."

" _That was our last lead,_ " Bobby noted in the background.

"What the hell, Bobby!"

" _Don't yell at me, boy,_ " he warned.

" _Hold on,_ " Liz sighed as she put me off speaker. " _Look, Dean... we're trying here, we really are._ "

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm- I'm- I'm tired."

" _I know. I know._ "

Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself a little more before asking, "What's Bela got?"

" _What you got, Bela?_ " Liz asked before there was a pause. " _She's, uh... she's got nothing._ "

I bit back my anger as I let out another sigh. "Great. Well, I'm just gonna go blow my brains out now."

" _Dean..._ "

"Yeah, I know." The worry in her voice was the only thing keeping me from going off. "Look, just call me when you get something. Bye." I flipped the phone shut, hanging up.

Driving down the road a little more, I saw a turn up ahead, making my mind up, I turned into it suddenly. I kept going a little more until we came to a clearing in the woods. That's where I stopped and turned off the car.

"All right, that's it. I'm done." Shaking my head, I leaned back and got comfortable.

Sam watched me, confused. "What are you doing?"

"Taking myself a long-overdue nap."

"What?! Dean, Jeremy can come after you."

"That's the idea."

"Excuse me?"

"Come on man, we can't find him, so let him come to me."

"On his own turf? Where he's basically a god?"

"I can handle it."

"Not alone, you can't." Before I knew what he was doing, he reached over and plucked some hair from my head.

I sat up quickly, bringing my hand to my head. "Ow!" I looked over at him, glaring. "What are you doing?"

"Comin' in with you."

"No, you're not."

"Why not? At least then it'll be two against one."

I didn't answer right away, but eventually told him the truth. "'Cause I don't want you digging around in my head."

"Too bad." He shrugged as he reached for his bag to make himself a tea.

...

_"Dean." Sam hit my arm, waking me up._

_"Jeez. For the love of God." I groaned, looking around, seeing that we were still in the car in the woods. "What are we still doing here?"_

_Sam shrugged. "I have no idea."_

_A sound outside the car, caught our attention._

_"There's someone out there." Sam noted, reaching for his door._

_We both got out and looked around for any sign of other people. That was when the song_ Dream a Little Dream of Me _began to play as a spot light turned on behind us. Both Sam and I turned to see Liz sitting on a picnic blanket laid out on the grass of the woods. She was dressed in a white lace dress with her red leather jacket thrown on top. Barefooted, hair falling around her, she looked gorgeous. I was speechless..._

_"Hey." She smiled, slowly getting up. "Been waiting for you."_

_I didn't move as she started towards me, but I could feel Sam watching a step or so behind my shoulder. "I've never had this dream before," I insisted to my brother. But it was a lie. Most nights I dreamt about Liz..._

_Sam took a step closer, looking at me with what looked like pity._

_"Stop looking at me like that."_

_He stopped, looking away. "Sorry."_

_"Dean." She sounded so real._

_Turning to look at her, I found she was now standing right in front of me. Her gentle hands reached up, cupping my face as she leaned forward. My eyes closed automatically, in anticipation of the kiss._

_When her lips pressed against mine, I sighed contently, leaning forward as I rested my hand on her waist, getting lost in the moment, forgetting she wasn't real. Forgetting I was in a potentially dangers dream. Forgetting Sam was watching._

_All that existed was Liz and me..._

_The music jumped and stopped. I pulled away and opened my eyes just in time to see Liz flicker and fade away._

_"Where'd she go?" I asked, looking around for her._

_Sam was looking as well, when he spotted something. "Dean," was all he said before he was off._

_I followed his gaze and spotted Jeremy racing off into the woods. Moving quickly, I was right behind my brother, following him into the thick of the trees and bushes, wanting to get to Jeremy and end this once and for all._

_But as I rounded a tree, still behind Sam, I could no longer see him or Jeremy. In fact, I was no longer in the woods. I was in a hallway, the walls covered in woodland wallpaper. Doors lined the edges._

_"Okay."_ Well, this can't be good...

**SPOV**

_I was still running after Jeremy in the woods, thinking Dean was right behind me. But when I came to a clearing and stopped to catch my breath, I found I was alone. Dean didn't come out. I looked around and waited a moment or two longer as my worry increased._

_"Dean?"_

**DPOV**

_Walking down the hall, I neared the end of it, having not touched a single door on my way. But as I got to the last door, it began to open on itself. I stopped and watched, ready for anything. But nothing happened. The door simply opened a little more, revealing the motel room._

_Having no real choice, I walked in. I could hear clicking as I entered, and looked over to where the noise was coming from. Sitting by the desk was a man I guessed was Jeremy, clicking the lamp on and off._

_"Jeremy?" I asked, coming to a stop in the middle of the room._

_With his back still to me, he clicked a few more times before he chose to leave the light on before turning to look at me. That's when I got to see that the man... was me._

_He slowly stood and turned more, not looking happy in the least. In fact, he looked... hard. As odd as that sounded, he looked mean. But the more he turned, he softer he appeared. It was... odd._

_"Hey, Dean."_

_Out of reflex, I grinned at Dream-Me. "Well, aren't you a handsome son of a gun."_

_"We need to talk."_

_"I get it. I get it." I nodded as I began to walk in a circle at the same time he did. We moved in the same direction, across from each other, at the same pace. "I'm my own worst nightmare, is that it? Huh? Kind of like the Superman III junkyard scene? A little mano-y-mano with myself?"_

_"Joke all you want, smart-ass. But you can't lie to me. I know the truth."_

_We stopped walking, having swapped places. It was then that I realised he now stood between me, and the door... my only exit._ Yeah, this really can't be good...

_"I know how dead you are inside," he went on. "How worthless you feel. I know how you look into a mirror... and hate what you see."_

_I swallowed hard, trying to get a hold of myself. "Sorry, pal. It's not gonna work." I smiled. "You're not real."_

_"Sure I am. I'm you."_

_"I don't think so. 'Cause see, this is my siesta. Not yours." I raised my left hand. "All I gotta do is snap my fingers and you go bye-bye." Snapping my fingers together, I really expected him to disappear... but he didn't._

_My smile faded as I snapped my fingers again, but still nothing happened. Dream-Me still stood there, watching, waiting as I snapped my fingers not once, not twice, but three more times. Sighing, I let my hand drop, giving up._

_Dream-Me gave an I-told-you-so nod. "I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you." The door slammed shut and locked itself. "Like I said..." He raised his right hand which now held a sawed-off shotgun. "We need to talk."_

**SPOV**

_I woke up with a start, back in the Impala. I looked over to my side, seeing Dean asleep in the driver's side. "Dean." I reached over and hit him on the arm with the back of my hand. "Hey. Wake up." I hit him two more times._

_He turned around quickly. Only it wasn't Dean, it was Jeremy. I was still asleep and he was pissed._

_Jeremy acted quickly, holding his bat again, he hit me in the stomach with it, hard. I let out a pained grunt and reached for my door handle, opening the door. I fell out of the car, still groaning in pain._

_Jeremy got out as well, moving around the car as he watched me, resting his bat on his shoulder. "Boy, you just don't know when to leave well enough alone, do you?" He walked towards me, closing my door._

_I moved against the ground, on my back, moving slowly. "You're a psycho."_

_"You're wrong."_

_"Yeah? Tell that to Dr Gregg."_

_He stopped then, tilting his head slightly. "The doc? No, no. The doc's the one that got me hooked on this stuff and then he took it away." He smiled, leaning against the trunk of the Impala as he watched me, bat in hand. "But I needed it, and he wouldn't let me have it."_

_"So you killed him?"_

_"I can dream again. You know what that's like, not to be able to dream? You never rest, not really. It's like being awake for fifteen years."_

_"And let me guess. That makes you go crazy?"_

_He leaned down towards me, holding the bat out at me. "I just wanna be left alone. I just wanna dream."_

_I gave a short shake of my head. "Sorry. Can't do that."_

_"That's the wrong answer."_

_Suddenly I was pushed against the ground. I groaned as the force held me there so I couldn't move. Looking to my wrists, I could see that I was now tied to railroad spikes that dug into the ground, as were my feet._

_"I'm getting better and better at this." Jeremy looked down at his bat. "Stronger and stronger all the time. But you and your brother? You're not waking up. Not this time. I'm not gonna let you. And then I'm going after your friends. The old man and the girl. No one's stopping me from dreaming."_

**DPOV**

_"I mean, you're going to hell and you won't lift a finger to stop it." Dream-Me shook his head at me as we circled each other again. "Talk about low self-esteem," he chuckled. "Then again, I guess it's not much of a life worth saving, now is it?"_

_"Wake up, Dean," I told myself. "Come on, wake up."_

_"I mean, after all, you've got nothing outside of Sam and Liz." He shrugged as we stopped, back in our original spots. "You are nothing. You're as mindless and obedient as an attack dog."_

_I smiled, refusing to let him get to me. "That- that's not true."_

_"No? What are the things that you want? What are the things that you dream? I mean, your car? That's dad's. Your favourite leather jacket? Dad's. Your music? Dad's. Do you even have an original thought?" I scoffed at his words, but he just went on. "No. No, all there is, is, 'Watch out for Sammy. Look out for your little brother, boy!'. You can still hear your dad's voice in your head, can't you?" He motioned to his head with the barrel of his gun. "Clear as a bell."_

_My smile was more forced as I shook my head at him. "Just shut up."_

_He lowered the gun. "I mean, think about it," he began to walk towards me as my smile started to fade, "all he ever did is train you, boss you around." He stopped in front of me. "But Sam... Sam, he doted on. Sam, he loved."_

_"I mean it. I'm getting angry," I warned._

_He ignored me. "Dad knew who you really were. A good soldier and nothing else. Daddy's blunt little instrument." His vice changed to anger. "Your own father didn't care whether you lived or died. Why should you?"_

_"Son of a bitch!" I pushed him hard, knocking him to the wall above the desk as I screamed at him. "My father was an obsessed bastard!"_

_He tried getting up, but I just kicked him back onto the desk. I grabbed his gun and held it like a bat, using it to hit him a couple of times before I pinned him against the wall._

_"All that crap he dumped on me, about protecting Sam! That was his crap. He's the one who couldn't protect his family." I stepped back, hitting him with the gun again and again. "He's the one who let mum die." Pinning him again, I continued to snap. "Who wasn't there for Sam. I always was! He wasn't fair! I didn't deserve what he put on me." I backed away, seething. "And I don't deserve to go to Hell!"_

_Lifting the gun, I aimed it at his chest and shot him twice, killing him._

_I lowered the gun and cautiously moved forward, my anger gone. I was more shocked now, shocked at my outburst and the fact I killed me._

_Suddenly Dream-Me's eyes opened, but now they were as black as a demon's. My own eyes widened as I pulled away as quickly as possible._

_He sat up, looking me in the eyed, pissed. "You can't escape me, Dean. You're gonna die. And this? This is what you're gonna become!"_

**SPOV**

_Jeremy hit me with the bat over and over. On my arms, legs, body. He hit me everywhere. Enough to hurt but not enough to kill. No, he was just warming up. By the time my body felt like it was one massive bruise, my muscles on fire, he finally stopped._

_Moving closer to me, he pointed the bat at my face. "You can't stop me. There's nothing I can't do in here."_

_"Because of the Dream Root," I panted._

_"That's right."_

_"Yeah? Well, you're forgetting something."_

_He raised the bat, ready to hit me again, only this time it would kill me, I was sure of it. "What's that?"_

_I looked up at him, showing no fear. "I took the Dream Root too." I smiled._

_"Jeremy!"_

_Jeremy turned at the sound of an angry man's voice in the woods, coming closer and closer. I was only just able to see his father, Henry, standing at the edge of the clearing now._

_"Jeremy!"_

_"No. No..." Jeremy lowered the bat, both surprised and scared. "Dad?"_

_"You answer me when I'm talking to you, boy," Henry ordered, moving towards his son._

_Jeremy backed away from both me and his father, dropping the bat. "No..."_

_I moved quickly. With Jeremy's mind focused on his father, I was no longer bound. I used this moment to grab his bat, get up and hit him across the face with the bat a few times._

_Jeremy fell to the ground after the second hit, shaking before he finally died._

...

I woke up suddenly, sitting up in my seat in the Impala. This time when I looked to my side, Dean was there and awake, panting just like I was. We were both covered in sweat. I wasn't sure what he went through in his dream, but I sure it would have been horrible. Jeremy would have made sure of that.

By the look on Dean's face, I was right.

**EPOV**

I was in the hotel room with Dean, our lips locked together in a heated kiss.

I know, it's immature and we probably should have been more careful seeing as Bobby and Sam would be back any moment. But after he and Sam told me they'd fallen asleep on purpose to face Jeremy, and that Sam had nearly died and Dean had faced his nightmares, plus I hadn't seen him properly in two days... well, I'd been worried.

His lips moved to my neck as his hands pressed me against him. I could feel _everything_.

"Dean," I moaned. "Dean, they'll be back soon."

"I know," he mumbled against me. "Just..." He sighed, pulling back. One look in his eyes and I could tell what he was feeling.

"You'll never admit it, but you were scared and worried. You really thought Jeremy was going to win."

His eyes changed, now surprised. "How do you know me so well?"

Grinning, I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving a slight shrug. "Hunting with you and Sam is like taking a class in Winchesters 101."

Eyes searching mine, wondering, he then leaned forward to press his lips to mine again, pulling me closer as his arms around me tightened.

The sound of the door opening had us both pull apart suddenly. I moved to the bed, taking a seat, as Dean turned to face Bobby and Sam as they walked in. Neither of them seemed to have noticed anything between Dean and myself, thankfully.

Clearing his throat, Dean spoke, "Hey, you guys seen Bela? She's not in her room. She's not answering her phone."

Sam closed the door behind him, shrugging. "She must've taken off or something."

"Just like that?" Dean looked unconvinced. "It's a little weird. "

"Not when it comes to Bela," I noted.

"Yeah well, if you ask me what's weird is why she helped us in the first place."

Dean frowned at Bobby, confused. "I thought you saved her life."

Bobby looked equally confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Bela told us you saved her life in Flagstaff," I explained, the brothers and I watching Bobby.

He just shook his head. "That thing in Flagstaff was an amulet. I gave her a good deal, that's all."

"Well, then why did-" Sam cut himself short, as confused as the rest of us.

Bobby sighed. "You three better check your pockets."

As Sam and Dean reached for their pockets, my body went cold. "He doesn't mean literally," I told them, getting off the bed and rushing over to the safe. As I opened it, I found my suspicions were right.

"The Colt." Sam shook his head, pissed. "Bela stole the Colt."

"Damn it!" Bobby snapped.

Dean was moving in an instant. "Pack your crap," he ordered, walking over to his bag on the couch.

Sam watched him. "Why? Where are we going?"

"We're gonna go hunt the bitch down."

**DPOV**

Standing by the open trunk of Baby, I zipped my bag up before throwing it in just as Sam threw his in as well. "Hey, Sam." I paused as I looked over at him. "I was wondering. When you were in my head, what did you see?"

"Uh, just Jeremy. He kept me separated from you. Easier to beat my brains out that way, I guess." I scoffed at his answer. "What about you?" he asked. "You never said."

I shook my head. "Nothing. I was looking for you the whole time," I lied, not wanting to tell him the truth. I don't think I'd ever tell anyone the truth.

Pulling my keys out of my pocket, I waited as he closed the trunk before we both moved to get in the front of the car, while Liz waited in the back. Sam sighed, getting comfortable as I thought about our situation for a moment or two longer.

"Guys."

Sam looked to me. "Yeah?"

"Mm?" Liz hummed from the back.

I didn't look at them as I cleared my throat before speaking. "I've been doing some thinking, and... well, the thing is... I don't wanna die. I don't wanna go to hell."

Neither of them said anything for a moment before Sam nodded slowly. "All right. Yeah. We'll find a way to save you."

"Whatever it takes," Liz added.

I looked to Sam first, then to Liz, before looking away again, nodding as I gave a small smile. "Okay, good," my voice shook, still a little unsure, because no matter how hard I tried, Dream-Me's voice still echoed in my head.

" _You can't escape me, Dean. You're gonna die. And this? This is what you're gonna become!"_

**Bamby**


	21. Heat of the Moment

**SPOV**

_Heat of the Moment_ by Asia woke me up as the radio next to on the bedside table woke me with a start.

_Telling you what your heart is_

My eyes snapped open before I sat up in bed and looked over to Dean as he sat on his bed tying his shoes.

"Rise and shine, Sammy!" He grinned.

I rolled my eyes, nodding to the radio. "Dude. Asia?"

"Come on. You love this song and you know it."

"Yeah, and if I ever hear it again I'm gonna kill myself."

Reaching over, Dean turned the volume up instead of off. "What? Sorry, couldn't hear you," he yelled over the music, causing me to laugh.

_It was the heat of the moment_

He started bopping to the music, dancing a little as he got to his feet. I shook my head in amusement, throwing the blanket off as the music continued on.

_Heat of the moment_

_Heat of the moment_

_Showed in your eyes_

**EPOV**

I stood in the doorway of the guys' room, waiting with Sam as Dean took his time to get ready.

"Whenever you're ready, Dean," Sam said out of annoyance.

Dean looked through the bags on the counter, pulling out a familiar black lacey bra. He grinned, swinging it around his finger as he turned to give me a wink. "This yours?"

Seeing as we move around a lot, our clothes got messed up quite a bit. Sam had even found a pair of my underwear in his bag once… and totally freaked out. But I didn't care. It was all clean, and just clothes.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. "You know perfectly well that it is."

Laughing lightly, Dean put the bra back on the bench before looking through the bags again. "Bingo." He reached in and pulled out his gun, turning for the door and heading towards us finally. "Now who's ready for some breakfast?"

...

Walking into the diner with the brothers, I was a step behind, looking around.

"Drive safely now, Mr Pickett," the cashier told an old man as he handed over some change.

The old man nodded, though was clearly a grump. "Yeah, yeah."

"Can't stay unless you order something, Cal. You know the rules," A waitress told a man who appeared to be homeless.

He pulled some change out of his pocket and handed it over gingerly. "Some coffee."

Reaching a booth, Dean took a seat, sliding over so I could sit next to him while Same sat across from us, in the middle of his side of the booth.

"Hey." Dean pointed to the menu, a smile on his face. "Tuesday. Pig in a poke."

Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother. "You even know what that is?"

When Dean didn't answer, I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. "It's a sausage cooked in batter," I told him.

The waitress came to our table then, friendly and welcoming as she pulled out her notebook and looked to each of us. "Are you three ready?" she asked as I read her name tag, ' _Doris_ '.

"Yes." Dean nodded. "I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee."

"Make it two coffees and a short stack," Sam added.

"Actually, three coffees. Oh, and some scrambled eggs with a side of bacon as well," I finished, smiling at Doris kindly.

Doris wrote it all down, nodding. "You got it."

Once she was gone, Dean lifted his arm to rest it behind me as he got more comfortable in his seat. "I'm telling you, Sam, this job is small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela."

Sam had found the job, and I hadn't minded going for it, but Dean was determined to find Bela and get the Colt back. Oh, and kill her. He wanted to kill her.

I was having mixed feelings though. Bela was a pain, yes. But she could be useful. Plus, we had a past. As distant as that past may be, and as much as neither of us seemed to care about each other that way anymore, I couldn't deny the fact that Bela was probably the closest thing to an ex I had, and that meant something to me. Not much, but something.

Sam shrugged. "Okay, sure, let's get right on that. Where is she again?"

"Shut up," Dean responded instantly.

"Look. Believe me, I want to find her as bad as you do. In the meantime, we have this." Sam pulled some papers from his jacket pocket.

Taking the papers, Dean gave it a look over. "All right, so this professor..."

"Dexter Hasselback was passing through town last week when he vanished," I noted. "His daughter says he was on his way to visit the Broward County Mystery Spot."

Doris arrived then, carrying a tray with three coffees and a bottle of hot sauce. "Three coffees, black, and some hot sauce for the-" She gasped as the hot sauce fell off the tray and smashed as it landed on the floor. "Whoops. Crap! Sorry." She turned to the counter behind her. "Clean-up!"

...

Walking down the path on the main street, between the brothers, I smiled at the dog tied to a bike rack as it barked and whined at us.

Snatching the Mystery Spot flyer from Sam's hands, Dean sighed. "Sam, joints like this are only tourist traps, right? I mean, you know, balls rolling uphill, furniture nailed to the ceiling, they're only dangerous to your wallet."

"Okay, look, I'm just saying, there are spots in the world where holes open up and swallow people," Sam argued. "The Bermuda Triangle, uh, the Oregon Vortex-"

"Broward County Mystery Spot?" Dean was unconvinced.

"Well sometimes these places are legit."

"It happens, Dean," I agreed with Sam.

"All right, so if it is legit, and that's a big-ass if, what's the lore?"

"Well-"

Before Sam could go on, Dean collided with a blonde girl who'd been walking the other way, carrying a stack of flyers.

"Excuse me," she mumbled as she continued walking.

Once we were walking again, Sam went on. "The lore's pretty frigging nuts, actually. They say these places the magnetic fields are so strong that they can bend spacetime, sending victims no one knows where."

Dean shook his head. "Sounds a little X-Files to me."

"Told you it wouldn't fit," a guy said as he and another man- both of them were movers- tried pushing a large wooden desk into a building.

The other guys stopped and glared at the first man. "What do you want, a Pulitzer?"

"Dean, Sam isn't saying this is a definite thing, but there's a chance. We should at least check it out. See if there's anything going on, maybe we can do something?" I suggested.

"All right, all right," Dean gave in. "We'll go tonight after they close, get ourselves a nice long look."

**SPOV**

I followed Dean and Lizzie into the Mystery Spot, walking down the double spiral black and neon green hall. Coming to the end, we opened the door and entered the next part, where all the furniture was placed on weird angles and was even upside down, hanging from the roof.

"Wow. Uncanny," Dean scoffed sarcastically, shining his torch to the upside-down table on the roof.

Pulling out my EMF I started scanning the place, while also looking for any other signs that might be able to help us.

"Find anything?" Lizzie called.

I sighed, lowering the reader. "No."

"You have any idea what you're looking for?" Dean asked.

"Uh... yeah," I answered, but when he raised a sceptical eyebrow at me, I let out another sigh. "No."

Shaking his head, Dean turned to keep looking. Lizzie and I did the same, still scanner and searching the space. None of us noticed another person walking into the room.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The three off us turned, shinning our lights at the person, both Dean and Lizzie pulling out their guns at the same time. But at the sight of the owner aiming a shot gun at us, they quickly lowered their weapons.

Dean slowly started to put his gun away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. We can explain."

The owner turned his gun to me. "You robbing me?"

"Look, nobody's robbing you, calm down," I told him.

He aimed at Dean. "Don't move!" he warned him.

Dean kept moving slowly, putting his gun away. "Just putting the gun down."

Suddenly the gun went off as the owner fired at Dean. All I could do was watch as Dean fell to the floor.

My heart stopped as I watched as if it were slow motion. Dean was unmoving with holes in his chest from where the shards had hit him. Blood began to pour out as he died right there on the ground of this crappy Mystery Spot con. Right there in front of me.

"Dean!" I rushed over to him as quickly as I could, falling to my knees. "Hey!" He was struggling to breath. I turned to the owner. "Call 911."

The own stuttered. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Now!"

"I got it." Lizzie pulled her phone out and began to dial, her voice and hands shaking as her wide eyes stared at Dean, tears threatening to pour.

Looking down at Dean again, I held him to me. "Hey, hey, oh, no, no, no. Not like this..." As I held him against me, Dean went still, his eyes closing. "Dean?"

...

_Heat of the moment_

_Telling you what your heart is_

My eyes snapped open as I sat up in bed, looking around. Next to me, on the other bed, sat Dean, tying his shoes with a smile on his face.

"Rise and shine, Sammy!"

_The heat of the moment_

_Showed in your eyes_

"Dude. Asia." He grinned.

I had no idea what was going on here... but something was very, very wrong.

"Dean..."

There was a rushed knock on the door. _That hadn't happened before..._

"Oh, come on, you love this song and you know it." Dean reached over and turned the music up as he bopped along and stood, moving to the door.

The moment he began to open it, Lizzie rushed in. Just one look at her and I knew, she was just as confused as I was.

"Anyone else freaking out?" she asked, looking to both of us.

"No, why? You have a weird dream or something?" Dean asked, moving to the bathroom. "Was it clowns or midgets?" He grinned.

**EPOV**

Everything was happening exactly as it had yesterday. Only yesterday is today... it hadn't taken me long to realise Sam was experiencing the same messed up timeline like me. The way we both watched Dean getting ready, we were both confused, relieved and freaking out.

Entering the diner, Sam and I watched everyone as they did everything the same as yesterday.

"Drive safely now, Mr Pickett," the cashier told the old man as he handed over some change.

The old man nodded, though was clearly a grump. "Yeah, yeah."

"Can't stay unless you order something, Cal. You know the rules," Doris told Cal.

Cal pulled some change out of his pocket and handed it over gingerly. "Some coffee."

Dean moved to sit in the booth like he had yesterday, sliding over for me. "Hey. Tuesday. Pig in a poke." He smiled.

Sam looked between the menu and his brother. "It's Tuesday?"

Dean gave a short nod. "Yeah."

Doris came over, smiling. "Are you ready?"

Dean smiled back at her. "Yes, I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee."

As Sam stared, clearly confused, I took control. "Nothing for us thanks."

Despite everything being weird, I was trying to act as normal as possible. I mean, maybe Sam and I had a shared vision or something? Maybe we were connected through our abilities or something?

"Let me know if you change your mind." Doris shrugged before walking off.

Dean rested his arm behind me like he had before. "I'm telling you, Sam, this job is small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela." When Sam kept staring after Doris, Dean snapped his fingers in front of his brother's face. "Hey. You with us?"

Sam turned to him. "What?"

"You sure you feel okay?"

Sam sighed. "You don't- you don't remember? Any of this?"

My eyes went wide at Sam's willingness to speak up about the weirdness. "Sam..."

Dean frowned, looking between us. "Remember what?"

"This. Today. Like it's- like it's ... happened before?" Sam asked.

"You mean like déjà vu?"

Sam shook his head as Dean. "No, I mean like, like it's really happened before."

"Yeah. Like déjà vu," Den repeated.

"No, forget about déjà vu." I turned to face Dean more. "Sam and I... it's like we're reliving yesterday. All over again."

Dean looked between as. "Okay, how is that not dé-"

"Don't. Don't say it!" Sam snapped. "Just don't even-" He cut himself short as Doris came back with Dean's coffee.

"Coffee, black, and some hot sauce for the-" She gasped as the hot sauce fell, "Oops! Crap!"

But before it could smash on the floor, Sam caught it.

We all froze, looking from the bottle to Sam. He was just as stunned, handing it back to Doris.

"Thanks." She smiled as she put the bottle on the table and left.

Dean turned to his brother, impressed. "Nice reflexes."

Sam and I shared a look without saying anything. Both of us were just as frustrated and confused as the other. As each second went by it was becoming clearer and clearer to me that we weren't dealing with some kind of joint vision. No, what we were dealing with was something weirder and worse.

...

I didn't look at the dog this time, as it barked and whined at us. I just looked to Dean, hoping he'd understand what we'd just explained to him. Sam and I had tried our best to tell him what was going on. But seeing as we had no real idea, we hadn't made much sense.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what the hell you're talking about.'

Sam sighed. "Okay, look. Yesterday was Tuesday, right? But today is Tuesday, too!" His frustration wasn't getting any better.

Dean shook his head. "Yeah. No. Good. You're totally balanced."

"So you don't believe us?!" Sam asked, hopeful.

The blonde bumped into the Dean again. "Excuse me," she mumbled, walking on.

Dean looked back at her for a moment before turning to his brother and I again. "Look, I'm just saying that it's crazy, you know. I mean, even for us crazy. Dingo-ate-my-baby crazy. Hey, maybe it was another of your psychic premonitions."

"Lizzie doesn't have premonitions," Sam noted. "Besides, it was way too vivid. Okay, look, we were at the Mystery Spot, and then-" He stopped himself.

"And then what?" Dean pressed.

There was no way we could tell Dean he died, so I skipped that part. "I don't know about Sam, but I woke up in my room."

Sam nodded. "Me too."

"Told you it wouldn't fit," Mover-one snapped.

Mover-two glared. "What do you want, a Pulitzer?"

"Wait a minute! The Mystery Spot." Sam looked to us, a little excited as if he was on to something. "You think maybe it..."

I understood where he was going. "We gotta check that place out." When Dean scoffed, not interested, I insisted. "Just go with us on this, okay?"

"All right, all right." Dean sighed. "We'll go tonight, after close, get ourselves a nice long look."

Both Sam and I came to a stop. "No!"

Dean stopped as well, looking to us, now even more confused. "Why not?"

"Uh..." Sam shrugged, dodging the question. "Let's just go now. Right now. Business hours, nice and crowded."

Dean watched his brother, slight concern and more confusion in his eyes. "My God, you're a freak."

"Dean," Sam insisted.

"Okay! Whatever. We'll go now." Shaking his head, Dean turned to walk, taking a few steps on to the read.

Suddenly a car came flying out of nowhere, hitting Dean. Dean flew through the air as the car came to a stop a few feet away, the tired screeching to a halt.

"No!" I ran, moving to Dean.

"Dean!" Sam was right behind me, the two of us kneeling by Dean on the road. Sam pulled his brother to him. "Dean, no, no, no."

My eyes took in the vast amount of injuries covering Dean. He was barely moving as Sam turned him over a little more.

"Come on! Dean." Sam shook him carefully. "Hey. Dean."

But it was too late...

**SPOV**

_Heat of the moment_

_Telling you what your heart is_

My eyes snapped open as I sat up in bed, breathing heavily. _What the hell is going on?!_

"Rise and shine, Sammy!" Dean grinned from where he was sitting on the bed next to mine, tying his shoes.

_The heat of the moment_

_Showed in your eyes_

...

Lizzie sat next to me, the two of us watching Dean carefully.

He smiled at the menu. "Hey. Tuesday. Pig in a poke."

I just got to the point this time, not wasting time. "Okay, would you listen to us, Dean? 'Cause we're flipping out."

Doris came by, smiling. "Are you ready?"

"He'll take the special, side of bacon, coffee, black. Nothing for us, thanks," Lizzie told her curtly, without looking away from Dean.

Doris hesitated before shrugging and walking off. "You got it."

Dean looked shocked at first, before he grinned. "Liz, I get all tingly when you take control like that."

She sighed, frustrated. "Quit screwing around, Dean."

"Okay. Okay." Dean nodded, looking between the two of us. "I'm listening. So, so- you think that you're in some kind of a what again?"

"Time loop," I answered.

"Like _Groundhog Day_."

I relaxed a little, glad he understood. "Yes, exactly. Like _Groundhog Day_."

"Uh-huh..."

Lizzie shook her head, frustrated. "You don't believe us."

He laughed. "It's just a little crazy. I mean even for us crazy, you know, like, uh-"

Lizzie and I finished for him. "Dingo ate my baby crazy?"

Dean paused, his smile falling. "How'd you know I was going to say that?"

"Because you said it before, Dean, that's our whole point," I told him.

Doris came by with Dean's coffee and the hot sauce. "Coffee, black, and some hot sauce for the- whoops! Crap."

I caught the sauce and handed it back without even blinking.

"Thanks…" Doris put the bottle on the table and left, looking at me surprised and a little weirded out.

"Nice reflexes." Dean looked impressed.

I shook my head. "No. I knew it was going to happen."

Dean sighed. "Okay, look. I'm sure that there's some sort of an explanation-"

"You're just going to have to go with us on this, Dean, you just have to," Lizzie told him.

"You owe us that much," I added, getting more and more annoyed.

I understood why he didn't believe us, but it didn't make anything any less annoying. Lizzie and I were the only people who seemed to be able to remember everything from the day before, which never actually happened. We were stuck with the memories of Dean dying.

There was no way in hell we were going to go through that anymore. So no matter how long it took, we were going to get Dean to believe us, and we were going to stop whatever the hell was happening.

He leaned forward, keeping his voice low. "Calm down-"

I cut him off, "Don't tell me to calm down! I can't calm down. I can't. Because-"

Once again, I couldn't seem to tell him. Telling him that the way each day had ended so far was after he died... I wasn't too sure how he'd handle that news.

"Because what?" he pressed.

I was surprised when Lizzie answered, honestly. "Because you die, today, Dean."

Dean shook his head, not believing her. "I'm not gonna die. Not today."

I took a deep breath. "Twice now we've watched you die, and I can't- we won't do it again, okay? You're just going to have to believe us. Please."

Hearing it from me, looking at the desperation in our face, Dean finally nodded. "All right. I still think you're nuts, but okay, whatever this is, we'll figure it out."

**EPOV**

The dog barked, the woman bumped into Dean and the mover's argued. It was all the same. Not only was this confusing, it was getting old fast. With Sam and I the only people different each day, we relived through a lot of the same stuff. This place was going to get on my nerves really fast- and that's got nothing to do with Dean dying.

"And you think this cheesy-ass tourist trap has something to do with it?" Dean asked us.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe it's the real deal, you know? The, the magnetic fields bending spacetime or whatever."

"I don't know, it all seems a little too 'X-Files' for me." Dean wasn't convinced.

"Well, I don't know how else to explain it, Dean!" Sam snapped.

"All right! All right. We'll go tonight after they close, get ourselves a nice long look."

I grabbed Dean's arm as I came to a stop, shaking my head. "No, we can't."

"Why not?"

"Because y-y-ou-" Sam couldn't even say it.

"I what?" Dean pressed for an answer. When Sam and I just gave him a look, he understood. "I die there?"

Sam nodded. "Blown away, actually."

Dean looked surprised. "Huh. Okay, let's go now." He started forward.

Sam and I rushed at the same time, grabbing him right before he could step out onto the street. Less than a second later, a car sped past.

Mr Pickett yelled out of his window. "Stay out of the way!"

The three of us stared after him.

Dean laughed, turning to Sam and I. The unamused and stressed looks on our faces stop his laughing. "Wait, did he…?"

I sighed. "Yesterday."

"And?"

Sam looked confused. "And what?"

"Did it look cool, like in the movies?"

"You peed yourself," Sam told him, irritated.

Dean shifted a little, uncomfortable and embarrassed. But he tried to hide his feelings. "Of course I peed myself. Man gets hit by a car, you think he has full control over his bladder? Come on!"

This time, we all looked both ways before crossing the road.

**DPOV**

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. We could use all the good ink we can get." The owner of the Mystery Spot smiled at the three of us.

"How long have you owned the place, Mr Carpiak?" Sam asked.

"Well, my family's been guarding the secrets here since you don't want to know when."

Liz nodded. "So you'd know if anything strange happened?"

"Strange? Strange happens here all the time. It's a Mystery Spot." The owner chuckled.

Sam frowned. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, uh... it's where the laws of physics have no meaning."

"Okay, like how?" Sam was clearly getting annoyed and agitated.

I still wasn't sure what was going on between Liz and Sam, but whatever it was it was getting to them. If they were telling the truth and they really were stuck in some kind of _Groundhog Day_ thing, then I wasn't sure how much longer they'd last before going nuts.

The owner grinned. "Take the tour."

Before Sam or Liz could say anything, I spoke up. "The guy who went missing, Dexter Hasselback, he take the tour?"

"Uh, uh..." The owner's smile fell as he looked to each of us. "Hold on a minute, what kind of article is this?"

"Just answer the question," Liz snapped.

"The police scoured every inch of this place. They couldn't find that man. I never seen him before. We're a family establishment-"

Sam stepped forward, getting in the owner's face. "Listen to me. There is something weird going on here. Now do you know anything about it or not?"

Shaking by Sam's behaviour, the owner finally told us the truth. "Okay. Look. Guys. Um. Give me a break. I bought the joint at a foreclosure auction last March, all right? Hell, I used to sell bail bonds."

Seeing Sam still glaring at the owner, I stepped forward, grabbing my brother's shoulder. "Okay, Kojak, let's get some air." Steering him towards the exit, I nodded to Liz who also looked pissed. "You too."

**SPOV**

With my hands shoved in my pockets to keep myself from fidgeting out of annoyance and frustration, I walked along side Lizzie, following Dean on the path along the main road in town.

Dean sighed. "Well, I hate to say it, but that place is exactly what I thought. It's full of crap."

"Then what is it, Dean, what the hell is happening to us?" I snapped.

"I don't know. All right, let me just-" He stopped himself, turning to Lizzie and I. "So, every day I die."

I gave a short nod. "Yeah."

"And that's when you two wake up again, right?"

Lizzie nodded. "Yeah."

Dean shrugged. "So let's just make sure I don't die. If I make it to tomorrow, then maybe the loop stops and we can figure all this out."

_Could it be that easy?_ "You think?"

"It's worth a shot. I say we grab some takeout and head back to the motel, lay low until midnight," Dean suggested, earning a hopeful and anxious nod from both Lizzie and I. "All right, good. Who wants Chinese?" He started walking again.

But after a few steps, a heavy wooden desk fell on top of him, crushing him… to death.

Lizzie and I looked up at the same time to see a snapped rope and the two movers looking down at us.

...

_Heat of the moment_

My eyes snapped open as I sat up in bed.

"Rise and shine, Sammy!" Dean smiled from where he sat on his bed, tying his shoes.

_Telling you what your heart is_

_The heat of the moment_

With a heavy sigh, I laid back down shaking my head.

_Shown in your eyes_

_It was the heat of the moment_

**EPOV**

I was exhausted. Not only were we repeating the same day and watching Dean die over and over, but we were exhausting ourselves. Sam and I were tired, confused, and desperate. So desperate, I was almost ready to make some kind of deal with whatever demon I could find.

_Almost_ that desperate. But not quite.

Dean watched us carefully, having heard us explain most it to him. "I still think you're nuts, but... whatever this is, we'll figure it out."

"Thanks," Sam muttered.

"So, uh... if you're stuck in _Groundhog Day_ , why? What's behind it?" Dean asked.

I shrugged. "Well, first we thought it was the Mystery Spot. Now we're not so sure."

"What do we do?"

"Well, we keep you breathing," Sam started. "Try to make it to tomorrow. I mean, that's the only thing I can think of."

Dean shrugged. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, right. Dean, we've watched you die a few times now and we can't ever seem to stop it."

"Well, nothing's set in stone. You say I order the same thing every day, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "Pig in a poke, side of bacon."

Dean turned to Doris as she stood at the counter talking to the cook. "'Scuse me, sweetheart?" he called, causing her to turn to him. "Can I get sausage instead of bacon?"

She smiled, giving a short nod. "Sure thing, hon."

Dean turned back to us, giving a short shrug. "See? Different day already. You see, if we decide that I am not gonna die. I'm not gonna die."

Doris came over and placed Dean's meal in front of him with a smile.

"Thank you." He nodded to her before stabbing one of the sausages and taking an exaggerated bite.

Sam and I grinned at his enthusiasm. That was until Dean started choking...

"Dean…" I shifted in my seat.

Sam's eyes went wide. "Dean?"

**SPOV**

_Heat of the moment_

My eyes snapped open as I sat up in bed, looking around. _God damnit!_

**Bamby**


	22. Groundhog Day

**EPOV**

I couldn't tell you how many times Dean had died now. I could tell you how some of his deaths played out. Once he fell in the shower. He ate a bad taco. Electrocuted himself. There were so many ways. So many different ways that he'd died now, I was sure we were nearing one hundred.

Hell, Sam had killed him once. But that was an accident. I didn't hold it against him, and Dean couldn't remember.

Walking into the diner, I looked to the front counter.

"Drive safely now, Mr Pickett," the cashier told Mr Pickett as he handed over some change.

Mr Pickett nodded grumpily. "Yeah, yeah."

As he headed for the exit, I bumped into him on purpose, picking his pocket discreetly as I kept walking towards our booth.

"Can't stay unless you order something, Cal. You know the rules," Doris told Cal.

He pulled some change out of his pocket and handed it over gingerly. "Some coffee."

"Hey." Dean gestured to the menu, smiling. "Tuesday. Pig in a poke."

With a tired expression, I pulled out Mr Pickett's keys and put them on the table.

Dean looked at them and then to me. "What are those?"

"The old man's," I mumbled.

"Trust us, you don't want him behind the wheel," Sam added.

Doris walked over to the table. "You ready?"

Dean smiled. "Uh, yes, we are. I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee."

"Hey, Doris?" Sam looked up at her. "What I'd like is for you to log in some more hours at the archery range. You're a terrible shot."

She froze, looking down at him confused. "How'd you know that?"

We both knew. She'd killed Dean once.

Sam gave an obviously fake smile. "Lucky guess."

Doris walked away, a little freaked.

Once she was gone, Dean got to it. "Okay, so you two think you're caught in some kind of what, again?"

"Time loop," Sam and I said at the same time, both of us tired and over all of this.

"Like _Groundhog Day_."

Sam shook his head. "Doesn't matter. There's no way to stop it."

Dean grinned at his brother. "Jeez, aren't you grumpy."

"Yeah, he is," I snapped. "You wanna know why? Because this is the hundredth Tuesday in a row we've been through, and it never stops. Ever. So yeah, he's a little grumpy. I'm a little grumpy." I sighed, seeing Doris in the corner of my eye. "Hot sauce."

Dean frowned. "What?"

Doris stopped at our table, placing the coffee on the table. "Coffee, black, and some hot sauce for the- whoops! Crap!"

But before the sauce smashed, Sam caught it effortlessly. He put it on the table, sliding it to Dean with agitation before he shoved his hand back in his pocket.

Doris was shocked. "Thanks," she mumbled, walking away.

"Nice reflexes." Dean was impressed.

Sam's annoyance grew. "I knew it was going to happen, Dean." He gestured to me. "We know everything that's gonna happen."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You don't know everything."

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"We do," I insisted.

Dean grinned, opening his mouth at the same time Sam did. "Yeah, right. Nice guess," they said together.

Sam gave him a tight, annoyed smile. "It wasn't a guess."

Leaning forward, Dean tried to prove him wrong again, but as he spoke so did Sam. "Right, you're a mind reader. Cut it out, Sam. Sam." There was a slight pause before they both spoke again, "You think you're being funny but you're being really, really childish! Sam Winchester wears makeup. Sam Winchester cries his way through sex. Sam Winchester keeps a ruler by the bed and every morning when he wakes up he-"

Dean threw up his hands, giving up. "Okay, enough!"

"That's not all. Randy the cashier?" I gestured to the front counter. "He's skimming from the register.

"Judge Myers?" Sam nodded to a man at the bar. "At night he puts on a furry bunny outfit."

Judge Myers overheard him, knocking over his glass out of surprise and embarrassment. But neither Sam or I cared.

"Over there, that's Cal." I pointed to Cal. "He's gonna rob Tony the mechanic on the way home."

Dean's eyes were wide, a little freaked, confused and once again impress but for different reasons. "What's your point?"

"Our point is, Lizzie and I have lived through every possible Tuesday," Sam told him. "We've watched you die every possible way. We've ripped apart the Mystery Spot, burnt it down, tried everything we know to save your life, and we can't. No matter what we do, you die. And then we wake up. And then it's Tuesday again."

**SPOV**

I sighed. "Dog."

Right on time, the dog on the street barked and whined.

Dean watched me, shaking his head. "There's gotta be some way out of this."

"'Where's my dang keys?'" Lizzie mumbled.

We passed Mr Pickett then as he stood on the footpath, searching his pockets. "Where's my dang keys?"

"Excuse me," I said a moment before the girl bumped into Dean.

"Excuse me," she muttered, continuing on.

"She's kinda cute," Dean chuckled before he put out a hand to stop me, which had Lizzie stop as well. "Hey. All the times we've walked down this street, I ever do this?" He suddenly turned and headed over to the girl. "Excuse me, miss!"

I stared after him, surprised. "No."

Lizzie and I watched as the girl handed Dean one of her flyers before he turned and headed back towards us.

"A hundred Tuesdays and neither of you ever bothered to check what she was holding in her hands?" He asked, earning two shrugs. He sighed, showing us the flyer. It was a missing persons poster for the guy in our case. "That's the guy who went missing?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

Dean gestured to the woman who gave him the flyer and was now walking away again. "That's his daughter back there."

This was the closest thing to a lead we had. We were here for the case and I was still sure there was something going on with the Mystery Spot, which is where the missing man was supposedly meant to have been before he went missing.

Maybe, just maybe, this was our way out of the loop.

I snatched the flyer from him and rushed after the girl. "Ma'am? Ah, Miss?"

But before I could reach her, I heard the dog bark and growl before Dean yelled out.

...

_Heat of the moment_

My eyes opened. I sat up quickly. I felt a knew determination bubbling inside me. This time, this time was going to be different. This time, we had a lead.

**EPOV**

Sam and I looked on his laptop, researching as Dean sat across from us, eating away.

"So the police report says Dexter Hasselback is a professor, but that's not all he is," Sam started.

"What is he?" Dean asked.

"Lizzie and I talked to his daughter," Sam told him. "Guy's quite the journalist. Columns in magazines, a blog. He writes about tourist attractions. Mystery spots, UFO crash sites. He gets his kicks debunking them. I mean, he's already put four of these places out of business. Here."

We turned the laptop the show Hassleback's biography, ' _The Hasselback Report_ '.

"Dexter Hasselback, truth warrior?" Dean scoffed. "More like a pompous schmuck, you ask me."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it. I mean, I've read everything the guy's ever written, and he must have weighed a ton, he was so full of himself."

Dean looked away from the computer and to his brother. "When'd you have time to do all this research?"

 _Oh, just the last few dozen times you've died while we've been following this lead Sam's determined to stick to_. I thought to myself.

It wasn't that I didn't agree with Sam, it was just… we'd been looking up this Hasselback guy for a few Tuesdays now and we hadn't really found much. Except that he's a douche bag who thinks the sun shines out of his ass. I was beginning to think this 'lead' was nothing.

But I wasn't going to tell Sam that. Not yet. Not when it gave him hope still.

"Come on." Sam closed his laptop and slid out of the booth. Dean and I were right behind him.

Dean laughed lightly, catching our attention.

"What?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I just, it's just funny, you know, I mean, this guy spends his whole life crapping on Mystery Spots and then he vanishes into one. It's kinda poetic, you know, just desserts."

"You're right, that is just desserts." Sam stood there thinking about it for a moment.

I went to keep walking only to freeze before I could make a move. "Sam." I lifted a hand and gestured to the bar where an almost empty plate sat next to a jug of strawberry syrup.

Dean noticed that we hadn't followed him and came back to see what was up. "What's wrong?"

Sam turned to see the man who'd been eating the pancake walk past the diner window. "Guy has maple syrup for the last hundred Tuesdays, all of a sudden he's having strawberry?"

"It's a free country." Dean shrugged. "Man can't choose his own syrup, huh? What have we become?"

Sam shook his head. "Not in this diner. Not today. Nothing in this place ever changes. Ever. Except Lizzie and me."

**SPOV**

_Heat of the moment_

My eyes snapped open before I sat up in bed and looked around.

_Telling you what your heart is_

"Rise and shine, Sammy!" Dean grinned from where he sat on his bed tying his shoes.

_The heat of the moment_

_Showed in your eyes_

...

Lizzie sat next to Dean this time, the two of us on the edge of the booth, watching the man at the bar as he ate his pancakes with maple syrup. If he'd had strawberry I might have wondered if I was wrong. But he didn't and I wasn't.

"So, you think you're caught in some kind of what, again?" Dean asked.

"Eat your breakfast," Lizzie and I told him at the same time.

A moment after, the man stood and began to leave the diner. I pulled out a paper bag from my pocket and stood to follow him, Lizzie right behind me.

"What's in the bag?" Dean called as he hurried to follow us.

**EPOV**

Watching the man from the diner bar, I waited until he was around the building, heading for the small parking lot. That's when I lifted my hand and pushed him against the fence with my mind.

"Hey!" he called out, shocked.

But he didn't have time to do or say anything else before Sam pressed the tip on his stake to the man's throat.

"I know who you are." Sam glared. "Or should I say, what?"

"Oh my god, please don't kill me," the man begged.

Dean looked between Sam and I, clearly concerned and confused and downright worried that we were insane. "Uh, Sam? Liz?"

Sam and I ignored him as Sam pressed the stake against the man's throat a little harder. "It took us a hell of a long time but I got it."

"What?" the man asked, confused and scared. But it was an act. I was sure of it.

I pressed him against the fence harder, still using my mind. "It's your MO that gave you away. Going after douche bags and jerks, giving them their just desserts. Your kind loves that, don't they?"

"Yeah, sure, okay." The man glanced at the stake nervously. "Just put the stake down!"

"Guys, maybe you should-"

I cut Dean off, "No! There's only one creature powerful enough to do what you're doing. Making reality out of nothing, sticking people in time loops. There's only one thing I know that can do that. A Trickster."

"My name is Ed Coleman, my wife's name is Amelia, I got two kids, for crying out loud I sell ad space-"

But Sam wasn't having it as he interrupted the man. "Don't lie! We know what you are! We've killed one of your kind before!"

Suddenly the man's face began to change as it morphed into someone else. Both Sam and Dean were taken back as if they recognised him.

The man grinned. "Actually, bucko, you didn't."

Sam was seething now. "Why are you doing this?"

My grip slackened as I realised this wasn't just any Trickster, this was the one they'd dealt with all those months ago. Back when I'd been too sick to help them hunt. I'd never met the Trickster, but I was sure- by the look on his and the brothers' faces- that he was the very same one.

The Trickster gave a short and unamused laugh. "You're joking, right? You chuckleheads tried to kill me last time. Why wouldn't I do this?"

Dean glared at the Trickster, his own anger building. "And Hasselback, what about him?"

"That putz?" The Trickster shrugged. "He said he didn't believe in wormholes, so I dropped him in one." he laughed. "Then you guys showed up. I made you the second you hit town." He paused before looking at me, "Though you? You were a surprise. I've heard about the Winchester's playmate. Also heard you ditched them months ago."

Before I could respond, Sam spoke up, "So this is fun for you? Killing Dean over and over again?"

"One, yes." The Trickster nodded. "It is fun. And two? This is so not about killing Dean. This joke is on the two of you, Sam and Elizabeth. Watching Dean die, every day. Forever."

Sam was vibrating with rage. "You son of a bitch."

"How long will it take you two to realise? You can't save him. No matter what."

"Yeah?" I raised my hand again, pushing him against the fence once more. "Why don't we just kill you and end this all now? Huh?"

"Oh-oh, hey, whoa!" The Trickster looked to the three of us desperately. "Okay. Look. I was just playing around. You can't take a joke, fine. You're out of it. Tomorrow, you'll wake up and it'll be Wednesday. I swear."

"You're lying," Sam sneered.

The Trickster shrugged. "If I am, you know where to find me. Having pancakes at the diner."

Looking to his brother for a moment, Sam thought about it before he turned to the Trickster again. "No. Easier to just kill you."

"Sorry, kiddo. Can't have that." The Trickster lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

**SPOV**

I woke up with a start as the song _Back in Time_ by Huey Lewis and the News started playing.

_Promise me I'll be back in time_

_Gotta get back in time_

"What, you gonna sleep all day?" Dean asked from where he was standin by the bathroom sink, brushing his teeth.

I sat up and looked to the radio. "No Asia."

Dean looked genuinely disappointed. "Yeah, I know. This station sucks."

_On a roll of the dice_

I read the date on the radio and gasped. "It's Wednesday!"

"Yeah, usually comes after Tuesday. Turn that thing off, will you?"

But instead of doing as he asked, I smiled widely. "What, are you kidding me? This isn't the most beautiful song you've ever heard?"

Suddenly the door to our room burst open. Lizzie rushed in, smiling as well. She looked to Dean and rushed over, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

Dean paused, his arms snaking around her to return the hug. "How many Tuesdays did you two have?" he asked us.

I threw my blankets off me and grabbed a shirt. "I don't know. I lost count."

Lizzie paused and pulled back, looking up at Dean. "Hey, wait. You remember?"

He shrugged. "I remember you two were pretty whacked out of it yesterday and then I remember running into the Trickster. But that's about it."

I didn't care though, I was just happy the never-ending Tuesday had finally ended. "All right. Pack your stuff, let's get the hell out of town. Now," I told them, moving to get my stuff ready to leave.

Dean looked disappointed. "No breakfast?"

"No breakfast," Lizzie and I answered at the same time.

**EPOV**

"You have no idea how happy I am." I smiled, watching Sam as he finished cleaning up the room. Dean was outside, packing the car.

Sam turned to me, an amused eyebrow raised. "Oh, I have some idea."

During the never-ending Tuesdays, it had been hard to hide how I felt. Every time Dean died it was like I died as well. He meant a lot to me, more than I'd admit to myself or anyone. But Sam had seen it. The small touches between Dean and I here and there, how I reacted to certain things as time went by.

At first it had been uncomfortable, the idea of Sam realising that Dean and I were sleeping together. But after a while I hadn't cared. My worry for Dean and the time loop had been more important.

"We're not an item, Sam," I assured him. "Dean and I are just sleeping together. It's just like before."

Even if Dean wasn't going to hell, I probably wouldn't change anything. Relationships weren't my thing. I didn't like to commit. It wasn't that I couldn't, it was that being with one single person meant you cared about them and trusted them in ways you didn't care about or trust others. It was a huge deal for me, and a lot of pressure for me and my 'partner'.

For now, I was happy to be alone and fool around. Dean knew that, too. We'd talked. He knew the rules were the same as before. He knew what we were.

"Before you were getting pretty close," he noted.

"Before he wasn't dying. Before he hadn't sold his soul. Before there hadn't been all these complications."

Sam shook his head, sighing. "Lizzie, we're gonna fix this. Dean's not going anywhere. You don't have to push him away. You don't have to keep him at arm's length."

I did though. I couldn't risk letting him in and then losing him. I didn't want to lose any more people I cared about. It hurt more and more each time and it sucked.

The sound of a gunshot had both of us looked to the door before we hurried off.

"Dean!" Sam yelled.

"Dean?" I called.

But as we rushed down the stairs and neared the Impala, we came to a stop. Lying there on the ground, unmoving, with a bullet wound in his chest, was Dean... He was dead.

Sam ran to him. "No, no, no, no, no." He got to his knees, grabbing his brother. "Hey, hey, come on, not today, not today, this isn't supposed to happen today, come on-" He squeezed his eyes shut and waited.

But nothing happened.

My heart sunk as I watched Sam. I knew, this time… this time was different.

Sam turned to me, tears in his eyes. "We're supposed to wake up."

**SPOV**

It had been six months since we lost Dean. Six months of hunting. Hunting everything, but mostly the Trickster.

Lizzie and I walked into the hotel room, moving to the bathroom so we could patch each other up. As I got the first aid kit ready, she played the messages on my phone.

" _It's Bobby. Heard about that demon thing you took care of in Death Valley. Nice job. Been about three months since we talked, though. Be nice to hear your voice. Either of you. Give me a call. I'm here._ "

Beep.

She walked over as I pulled my shirt off, revealing a bleeding wound. I leaned back as she got to work, pouring some hydrogen peroxide on it before reaching into the wound with a pair of medical tweezers. She pulled out the bullet as the next messaged played.

" _Bobby again. Look, I'm worried about the two of you._ "

Beep.

Stitching up my wound, she finished in record time. Once she was done I reached over to clean her cuts, both of us professional as we worked on each other.

Everything we did now was automatic. We ate, slept, and moved on. Everything was perfect, precise. Mistakes got people killed. Being unorganised was as dangerous as a loaded gun.

We were set on finding the Trickster and nothing else.

" _Just tell me you're not sitting somewhere obsessing over this damn Trickster. Call me. We can find it together. You hear me? By the way, that vampire nest in Austin, hell of a job._ "

Beep.

I was packing up the kit while Lizzie cleaned up the blood and got rid of our stained clothes when the last message played.

" _It's Bobby. I found him._ "

Lizzie and I turned to each other, determination set in our eyes.

**EPOV**

We waked into the Mystery Spot, finding Bobby kneeling by some candles and bowls in the middle of the room. He looked exactly like he had all those months ago. But I was numb to it. After losing Dean so many times, only to have lost in the end. I'd shut everyone and everything out.

Sam and I weren't even friends anymore. Not really. We were co-workers. Two hunters set on finding the same big-bad and bring it down.

Like I said, losing people sucked and I couldn't do it anymore. Dean was the last straw. Standing in the parking lot, watching him die, that was when I decided to cut all ties and forget about everything but hunting.

Bobby stood and turned, moving towards us with a light smile on his face. "It's good to see you, boy." He gave Sam a quick but tight hug before turning to me. "Lizzie." He let out a sigh of relief, folding me into a hug as well.

I pulled away after a moment or two. "What are we doing here, Bobby? I asked in a flat tone.

Bobby shrugged. "Well, it's the last place we're sure the Trickster worked his magic."

"So?" Sam wanted him to get to the point as much as I did.

"So, you want this thing? I found a summoning ritual to bring the Trickster here," Bobby answered.

Sam got straight to it. "What do we need?"

"Blood."

I was unfazed by Bobby's response. "How much blood?"

"Ritual says near a gallon. And it's gotta be fresh, too."

"Meaning we have to bleed a person dry," Sam noted.

"And it's gotta be tonight. Or not for another fifty years."

"Then let's go get some." I turned to leave, Sam doing the same. Honestly the idea of killing someone didn't even faze me anymore. I was that numb.

Bobby sighed, shaking his head. "You two break my heart."

Sam paused and turned to him. "What?"

"I'm not gonna let you murder an innocent man."

I turned to Bobby, glaring accusingly. "Then why'd you bring us here?"

"Why? Because it was the only way you'd see me! Because I'm trying to knock some sense into you! Because I thought you'd back down from killing a man!"

"Well, you thought wrong." Sam's tone was as flat as mine. "Leave the stuff, we'll do it on our own."

Bobby shook his head. "I told you, I'm not gonna let you kill a man."

"It's none of your damn business what we do!" Sam snapped at him, showing real emotion for the first time in ages. Months even.

Bobby focused on him. "You want your brother back so bad?" He leaned down and pulled a knife out of his bag, holding it up to Sam. "Fine."

Sam eyed the knife. "What are you talking about?"

"Better me than a civilian," Bobby told him, still holding the knife out.

I shook my head. "You're crazy, Bobby. We're not killing you."

"Oh, now I'm the crazy one? Look, I'm old, I'm coming near the end of my trail. But you can keep fighting. Saving folk. But you need your brother," Bobby told Sam. "You need Dean. Let me get him back to you."

"Bobby-"

He cut Sam off, "You two and Dean, you three are the closest thing I have to family. I wanna do this."

Slowly, Sam took the knife. "Okay."

"Good." Bobby turned around and dropped to his knees. "Just make it quick." When Sam didn't move, Bobby nodded. "Do it, son."

Sam and I shared a look, the same thoughts going through our minds.

"Yeah, okay, Bobby." Sam pulled a stake out of his jacket. "But you wanna know why?" he moved closer to Bobby, grabbing him around the throat.

Lifting my hand, I pushed Bobby back with my mind and watched as the stake stabbed right through him. "Because you're not Bobby."

Sam twisted the stake, causing blood to spurt out of the wound. He let Bobby go, making the body fall forward, face first to the ground. Standing again, Sam and I watched and waited.

But nothing happened.

For the first time in a long time, I felt something. I felt guilt, worry, pain, remorse. Because now I didn't know if Sam and I were right or not.

"Bobby?" Sam looked as panicked as I felt. "Bobby. Bobby!"

Suddenly Booby body vanished. The stake fell to the floor before shooting up and over Sam's shoulder, behind him, and into the hand to the Trickster.

"You're right. I was just screwing with you." The Trickster smiled. "Pretty good, though. Smart." He nodded, pointing the stake at Sam. "Let me tell you, whoever said Dean was the dysfunctional one has never seen you with a sharp object in your hands. Holy _Full Metal Jacket_."

"Bring him back," Sam spoke so quietly I was surprised the Trickster heard him.

The trickster looked confused. "Who, Dean? Didn't my girl send you flowers? Dean's dead. He ain't coming back. His soul's downstairs doing the hellfire rumba as we speak."

I shook my head, not taking no for an answer. "Please. Just take us back to the Tuesday. Or Wednesday. I don't care. Just take us back to when it all started. We won't come after you. I promise."

"You promise?"

"Yes," Sam assured him.

But the Trickster didn't look convinced. "I don't know. Even if I could-"

"You can," I insisted, knowing it was well and truly within his capabilities.

"True." The Trickster nodded. "But that don't mean I should. Guys, there's a lesson here that I've been trying to teach here."

Sam frowned, not understanding- and neither was I. "Lesson? What lesson?"

The Trickster turned his attention to Sam. "This obsession to save Dean? The way you two keep sacrificing yourselves for each other? Nothing good comes out of it. Just blood and pain. Dean's your weakness. And the bad guys know it, too. It's gonna be the death of you, Sam. Sometimes you just gotta let people go."

"He's my brother."

"Yup. And like it or not, this is what life's gonna be like without him."

"Please. Just... please," Sam begged.

The Trickster rolled his eyes. "I swear, it's like talking to a brick wall. Okay, look. This all stopped being fun months ago. You're Travis Bickle in a skirt, pal. I'm over it."

I frowned. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning that's for me to know and you to find out." The Trickster lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

**SPOV**

_Promise me I'll be back in time_

_Gotta get back in time_

I woke up with a start, sitting up. I was back in the hotel room... it was as if nothing had ever happened. Like the last six months had been part of my imagination or something.

"What, you gonna sleep all day?" Dean asked from where he was standing by the bathroom sink brushing his teeth. When I said nothing, he nodded. "I know, no Asia. This station sucks."

_On a roll of the dice_

Just in case, I looked to the clock, relieved at what I saw. "It's Wednesday."

Dean nodded as if that were obvious. "Yeah, usually comes after Tuesday. Turn that thing off."

I threw the blankets off me and hurried over, pulling Dean in for a hug. Holding him tightly, I stood there a moment or two longer than usual, missing this. It would be weird to him, but he'd never understand what this meant to me.

"Dude, how many Tuesdays did you have?"

"Enough." I sighed, pulling back. "What, uh, what do you remember?"

He shrugged. "I remember you were pretty whacked out of it yesterday. I remember getting up with the Trickster. That's about it."

Suddenly the door burst open.

Neither of us had much time to react before Lizzie hurried over to Dean, grabbed him and pulled him down to her. She pressed her lips against his in a needy and desperate kiss. There was hesitation from Dean who was caught by surprise. But within a second or two he recovered, kissing her back as his arms wrapped around her, holding her to him.

Pulling back, Lizzie smiled up at Dean. "Hi."

"Hey." He still looked shocked. "You miss me or something?"

She shook her head, letting out a soft sigh. "You have no idea."

Smiling as well, I nodded to the two of them. "Let's go."

Dean looked disappointed. "No breakfast?"

I scoffed, sharing a look with Lizzie as we both answered, "No breakfast."

"All right, I'll pack the car," Dean offered.

Lizzie grabbed his arm, stopping him. "No!"

"You're not going anywhere alone," I told him.

"It's the parking lot, guys."

"Just- just trust us."

...

Ready to go, I zipped up my bag and headed over to the door where Lizzie stood waiting with her own things.

Dean reached her first, turning to me curiously. "Hey, you don't look so good. Something else happen?"

I didn't say anything at first, not wanting to tell him the truth. So I simply shrugged. "I just had a really weird dream."

He gave a short nod. "Clowns or midgets?" He grinned. When all I did was give him a small smile, he turned to Lizzie. "Wanna get out of here?"

She nodded, reaching out to grab his hand. "Yes please."

As the two of them walked off, I looked back to the room last time, seeing my unmade bed. Hoping to never see this bedroom again, I flicked the light off and closed the door, leaving this place behind for what I hoped would be forever.

**Bamby**


	23. Don't Throw Away the Key

**DPOV**

With our guns raised and ready, Sam rushed into the room first, followed by myself and then Liz who shut the door behind her. We didn't hesitate before we started searching the seemingly empty room. I checked the drawers, Liz checked the wardrobe, while Sam checked the safe.

"Any sign of it?" I asked, going through the clothes in the drawers.

Liz shut the wardrobe with a sigh. "Nothing."

Sam turned away from the safe. "Are you sure this is Bela's room?"

Opening another drawer, I pulled out two wigs and showed them to him. "I'd say so."

As if on cue, the phone began to ring then. The three of us shared a look as I moved to answer the hotel phone, bringing it to my ear cautiously.

" _Dean? Sweetie, are you there?_ " Bela.

My jaw tensed. "Where are you?"

" _Two states away by now._ " I could practically _see_ her smug grin.

"Where?"

" _Where's our usual quippy banter? I miss it._ "

"I want it back, Bela. Now."

" _Your little pistol, you mean? Sorry, I can't at the moment._ "

"You understand how many people are gonna die if you do this?"

" _What exactly is it that you think I plan to do with it?_ "

"Take the only weapon we have against an army of demons and sell it to the highest bidder."

Her smile was gone as she spoke again. " _You know nothing about me._ "

"I know I'm gonna stop you."

" _Tough words for a guy who can't even find me._ "

"Oh, I'll find you, sweetheart. You know why? Because I have absolutely nothing better to do than to track you down."

" _That's where you're wrong. You're about to be quite occupied._ " Her words had me look over to Sam and Liz, not liking the sound of her tone... " _Did you really think I wouldn't take precautions? Tell Elizabeth I say hi._ "

Right as she hung up the door burst open as police officers came barging in, pointing their guns at the three of us.

"Hands in the air!"

"Down on your knees."

Sam, Liz and I acted quickly, putting our hands over our heads. There was nothing else we could do. We were out number, unprepared and stuck in this room with minimal exits and not a lot of time. Talk about a hard place and a rock.

"That bitch!" I snarled, getting to the ground.

One of the officers reached for Liz. "Turn around! Now!"

"Don't touch her," I warned.

Another cop grabbed me as one grabbed Sam, forcing us to the lie on the floor. All the while, Liz shrugged the other cop off her and got to the ground herself, glaring the whole time.

"Sam and Dean Winchester, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you at government expense."

I looked up as a pair of shoes came to stop by Sam and me. It was Henriksen. The FBI guy that had been after us for well over a year now. _Great. Just great!_

"Hi guys." He grinned. "It's been a while."

**EPOV**

I was in front of the brothers as we were led into the police station. Sam and Dean were chained together, wrists and ankles, guarded by two officers. I was cuffed as well, though only by my wrists, and was being led by a lone officer.

We stepped into the office area, seeing Henriksen and some other cops- plus a receptionist- watching us carefully.

Dean grinned as we were pulled to a stop. "Why all the sourpusses?"

I took in as much as I could, looking at exits, things I could use as weapons, possible weaknesses or weak people. Nancy- the receptionist- was definitely an opportunity. If we wanted out she might come in handy.

She stood there watching us, fiddling her with her rosary. _I used to be like that..._

"I'll show you to the cells." Henriksen's partner grabbed Dean's arm.

"Hey! Hey! Watch the merchandise!" Dean told him, clearly not taking this seriously. As we were lead out he looked to Nancy. "We're not the ones you should be scared of, Nancy."

Her response was to simple look down at her rosary and hold it closer.

...

I was put in the cell next to the brothers, alone. The moment the sheriff closed and locked our cells, leaving us alone, I watched as the brothers walked in opposite directions, almost falling because of their bound ankles.

Sam grabbed the bar to keep himself up. "Dean, come on!"

Dean nodded. "All right, all right. Sit?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed.

The two of them awkwardly moved around each other before they sat on the bed, Dean closest to the bars.

Shaking his head, Dean looked to Sam and I. "How we gonna Houdini out of this one?"

"Good question," Sam muttered.

"Telekinesis?" I suggested.

Dean gave me one look that told me he did not like that idea at all. Lately he felt like I was using it too much and over exerting myself. But when we had no other options, it was all we had to save our asses.

"You can unlock the chains and doors, but Henriksen will have this place guarded. Every exit will have at least one guard," Sam noted.

He was right. Unless we were willing to kill our way out of here- which we weren't, these were just clueless people after all- then we were stuck. For now, at least.

...

Henriksen walked up to the guys' cell, leaning on the bars as he looked at them smugly. Dean looked up at him while Sam just gave him a glance before looking away.

"You know what I'm trying to decide?"

Dean shrugged at Henriksen's question. "I don't know. What? Whether Cialis will help you with your little condition?"

"What to have for dinner tonight," Henriksen answered simply. "Steak or lobster, what the hell, surf and turf. I got a lot to celebrate. I mean, after all, seeing you two in chains…"

Dean shook his head, grinning cynically at him. "You kinky son of a bitch. We don't swing that way."

"Now, that's funny."

I moved to grab the bars as I looked Henriksen up and down, smirking. "If I were you, I wouldn't get too excited. You couldn't catch these boys before. Couldn't keep them locked up then."

Henriksen looked over at me. "I'm guessing you had something to do with that, Elizabeth Rose Hart."

"Ooh." I mocked a shiver. "He knows my name. I'm scared."

"When I got the tip on you three I just had to look you up," Henriksen started, still watching me. "Seemed to have a pretty normal upbringing. Religious family, straight A student. I had to ask myself, 'What made a sweet girl decided to tag along with two men like the Winchesters?'"

"What can I say?" I bit my lip and moved closer to the bars, pressing myself against them. "A girl has her _needs_ ," I purred the last word, my hands wrapping around the bars, running up and down them suggestively.

"Right." He nodded indifferently. "So, it's got nothing to do with your family? Father died when you were just a baby. When you were a teenager you found your mother's body. She'd been torn apart by wild animals. After that, your sister became your guardian. Guess she didn't do a very good job." He looked me up and down.

My smile fell at the mention of my family. "Don't you dare talk about my sister like that," I snarled, wanting nothing more than to rip him apart.

He scoffed at me. "Yeah, last time the boys got away. I didn't count on them being that smart or the fact that they had help. But now? Now I'm ready."

Dean looked to Henriksen, a little smug. "Yeah, ready to lose us again?"

"Ready like a court order to keep you in a Super maximum prison in Nevada 'til trial," Henriksen told him. "Ready like isolation in a soundproof, windowless cell, so small that between you and me... probably unconstitutional."

My heart sank as I realised he was being serious. By the looks on Sam and Dean's face, they knew it too. _This is not good..._

"How's that for ready?" When none of us said anything, Henriksen went on. "Take a good look at each other. You three will never see each other again." When we all looked at him with real fear in our eyes, he grinned. "Aw. Where's that smug smile, Dean? I want to see it."

Dean shook his head in disbelief. "You got the wrong guys."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. You fight monsters." Henriksen scoffed. "Sorry, Dean. Truth is, your daddy brainwashed you with all that devil talk and no doubt touched you in a bad place. That's all. That's reality."

Sam sat up at Henriksen's words, tensing his jaw. I held onto the bar tighter, fighting the urge to knock Henriksen on his smug ass for saying that about their father.

"Why don't you shut your mouth?" Dean warned.

"Well, guess what. Life sucks. Get a helmet. 'Cause everybody's got a sob story. But not everybody becomes a killer."

The sound of a helicopter flying over the building made my stomach sink.

"And now I have two... no… _three_ less to worry about." Henriksen looked down at his watch. "Mm. It's surf and turf time." Laughing, he moved to the door, leaving the three of us to stew in what he said.

**SPOV**

A man in a suit walked into the holding cell area, closing the door behind him. As he walked down the short walk way he looked Lizzie up and down with a grin I didn't really like. But the moment he was in front of Dean's and my cell, he turned his attention to us.

Dean stood, watching the guy carefully.

"Sam and Dean Winchester, Elizabeth Hart. I'm Deputy Director Steven Groves. This is a pleasure." The man smiled, hands on his hips.

"Well, glad one of us feels that way," Dean muttered.

"I've been waiting a long time for you two to come out of the woodwork."

Suddenly Groves pulled out a gun, before anyone could react he shot Dean in his left shoulder, making my brother fell as blood sprayed onto the wall behind him.

Lizzie and I were in action instantly.

She lifted her hand and grabbed Groves with her mind, pushing and holding him against our cells bars as her other hand flung his gun out of his hand. I caught the gun mid-air and reached to grab Groves, pressing the barrel to his throat.

But as I looked up I was met by black eyes.

Without missing a beat, I began an exorcism.

_"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus_

_omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio_

_infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,_

_omnis congregatio et secta diabolica."_

Before I was even close to finishing, Groves cut me off, grinning, "Sorry, I've gotta cut this short. It's gonna be a long night, fellas."

With that he opened his mouth wide with a scream as the demon escaped the body in a black cloud of smoke that disappeared into the ceiling air vent.

The remaining body of the real Groves fell to the floor as Lizzie let it go.

Suddenly the door to the holding cell area opened at the sheriff and deputy came rushing in, guns raised. Henriksen was right behind them, with his partner following. All four of them aiming their guns at the three of us.

"All right, put the gun down!" the sheriff ordered.

"Wait. Okay. Wait." I slowly began to put the gun down.

"He shot him!"

"I didn't shoot him, okay. I didn't shoot anyone."

"He shot me!" Dean exclaimed.

"Get on your knees, now!" Henriksen ordered.

"Okay, okay, okay. Don't shoot. Please." I did as they said, getting to my knees as Lizzie and Dean did the same. "Look. Here. Here." I slid the gun through the bars to them. "Look. We didn't shoot him. Check the body. There's no blood. We did not kill him. Go ahead, check him."

Henriksen's partner moved to check Groves' body, confirming my claims. "Vic, there's no bullet wound."

"He's probably been dead for months," Dean told them.

Henriksen looked to my brother and I, then to Lizzie, going between the three of us. "What did you do to him?"

"Are you deaf, or stupid?" Lizzie glared from where she was kneeling on the floor, her hands on her head. "We didn't do anything."

Shaking his head, Henriksen turned to point his gun at Dean. "Talk or I shoot."

Dean sighed. "You won't believe us."

But seeing that Henriksen really wanted an answer, I decided to give it to him anyway. "He was possessed."

"Possessed? Right." Henriksen shook his head. "Fire up the chopper! We're taking them out of here now."

"Yeah! Do that!" Dean snapped.

Henriksen's partner pulled out a walkie. "Bill?" But all we got back was static. "Bill, are you there?" Still no answer.

The FBI partners shared a look, Henriksen giving a nod before his partner hurried to the door to go check outside. All the while three guns were still pointed at us, ready to shoot if necessary.

There was a moment before a voice spoke through Henriksen's walking. It was his partner. " _They're dead. I think they're all dead,_ " he told us, closely followed by something that sounded like a blast and then a yell in pain.

Henriksen brought his walkie to his lips. "What the hell was that? Reidy? Reidy?!" he asked, but got no answer. "What the hell was that? Come in? Reidy? Reidy?"

There was another pause before we heard the guy through the walkie again. Only this time he didn't speak. This time all we heard was a scream.

**EPOV**

The brothers stood by my cell as I focused on Dean's wound, pressing an invisible force against it so it would stop bleeding. We'd been alone for a short while now. After the scream everyone rushed out of here to go find out what was happening. But I didn't need to be out there to know whatever this was, it wasn't going to end well.

Suddenly the lights went out.

Dean looked around, saying what we were all thinking. "Oh, that can't be good."

...

I rolled my eyes at Dean as he grunted at me putting more pressure on his wound.

"All right, don't be such a wuss," Sam told him.

"What's the plan?" Henriksen asked as he walked in, stopping by my cell door. "Kill everyone in the station, bust you two out?"

Dean shook his head at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your psycho friends. I'm talking about a blood bath."

"Okay, I promise you, whoever's out there is not here to help us," Dean insisted.

"Look, you got to believe us." Sam tried the gentler approach. "Everyone here is in terrible danger."

"You think?"

I sighed at Henriksen. "If you want these people to survive, get us the hell out of these chains and cells so we can save your asses."

"From what?" Henriksen asked. There was a pause as he read our expressions. "You gonna say 'demons'?" He raised his gun, waving it around in anger. "Don't you dare say 'demons'. Let me tell you something. You should be a lot more scared of me." He snapped and left again.

Once he was gone I turned my attention back to Dean. "How you feeling?"

"Could be worse," he mumbled. "I'll live. You know, if we get out of here alive. So, you got a plan?"

None of us said anything, having no plans what so ever. Really, the situation was getting worse and worse by the second. It was about now that I was wishing we'd let Dean kill Bela months ago.

"Hey." Dean got Sam's and my attention as he nodded over by the holding cell area's door.

We looked over to see Nancy peeking around the corner carefully.

I offered her a gentle smile. "Hi."

She quickly backed off a little, clearly terrified of us.

"No, no." I shook my head slowly. "It's okay. We just need your help. We need a towel for his wound. A clean towel. Do you think you could get one for us? Please?" When she still looked unsure, I let my smile grow a little. "I know people are probably saying a lot of things about us, but I promise you we're not the bad guys."

But instead of answering, she just turned and left.

"Nice try."

I turned to glare at Dean. "Like you could do better." Sighing, I turned to move to the door again and was surprised to see Nancy standing there holding a clean towel. My smile returned. "Thank you."

She inched closer to me, staying away from guys' cell.

"It's okay." I held my cuffed hands. "I won't hurt you."

Carefully and cautiously, she handed me the towel. I simply grabbed it from her and pulled away. I didn't hurt her, didn't do anything to scare her. I didn't need to.

As she turned to leave I looked to her pocket and flicked a finger. She didn't even feel or notice her rosary beads leave the pocket and fly over to my hand. She was completely unaware.

So not only did I get Dean a clean towel and earn the trust or the receptionist, but I also got us something we can actually use.

Turning to the brothers I grinned as I showed them the rosary. "Anyone up for making some holy water?"

Sam smiled at me, impressed, while Dean chuckled lightly.

...

I sat on the ground, leaning against the bars, my back facing the brothers. Now that Dean had the towel, he didn't want me helping him. Too much telekinesis tired me out quickly. We thought it would be best if I saved my energy.

They'd put Nancy's rosary in their toilet while I'd put my own cross in my toilet. It was for any just-in-case moments.

"Lizzie, you've never actually told us why you wear that cross all the time," Sam noted, moving around the statement carefully. "Or any of your necklaces…"

I sighed, looking down at the three necklaces still around my neck. "The two short silver chains with the two small hearts, ones my sister's. She bought them for my thirteenth birthday, so I'd know she'd always be there for me." My fingers ran over the chains. "The quartz pendant was my mum's. She left it to me." My voice was softer now, sadder. "The cross," which hung from an old leather cord, "had been my dad's. "

There was a heavy silence that pressed against us then.

The brothers knew a little about my past but not much. Sam probably knew a little more to be honest. They knew how my dad and mum died, but not my sister. They knew a little about my childhood, but not how I became a hunter. They knew about my mum's deal, how I was one of Yellow-Eyes' 'soldiers'. But they didn't know much more than that.

Groaning, I pulled myself up and moved to my cell door, kicking at it. "We're sitting ducks in here."

"Yeah, we know." Dean sighed, pressing the towel to his wound still. "Would it kill these cops to bring us some snacks?!" he yelled out in the hopes someone would listen and do exactly that.

"How many you figure are out there?" Sam asked.

I gave him a look, an eyebrow raised. "What, cops or demons?"

"Demons," he answered.

Dean shook his head. "I don't know."

"How ever many they are, they could be possessing anyone. Anyone could just walk right in," Sam noted.

"It's kind of wild, right? I mean it's like they're coming for us. They've never done that before." A slight smile formed on Dean's lips. "It's like we got a contract on us. Think it's because we're so awesome? I think it's 'cause we're so awesome." He continued to smile until he saw how unamused Sam looked.

Suddenly the door opened at the sheriff walked in. He stepped up to my cell and unlocked it, stepping in. Dean and Sam stood, watching carefully. We had no idea if this was in fact the sheriff, or a demon...

"Well, howdy, there, sheriff." Dean grinned trying to stay calm.

When the sheriff didn't say anything, only stepped closer to me, I stepped back and looked to the brothers with worried eyes.

"Uh, sheriff?" Sam spoke.

"It's time to go." The sheriff neared me again.

I shook my head, giving a light-hearted smile as I continued to back away. "You know, I think I like it in here. I think I'll stay right here. But thanks."

"What do you think you're doing?" Henriksen asked as he stepped into my cell doorway, behind the sheriff.

The sheriff turned to him slightly. "We're not just gonna sit around here and wait to die. We're gonna make a run for it."

"It's safer here," Henriksen insisted.

 _Great..._ I looked between the two of them. I had no idea if one, both or neither of them were possessed. This is what you call a messed-up situation.

"There's a SWAT facility in Boulder," the sheriff told him.

Henriksen stepped into the cell. "We're not going anywhere."

"The hell we're not," the sheriff snapped and moved to reach for me.

Before he could make contact, Henriksen pulled out a gun and shot the sheriff right in the head.

"Liz!"

"Lizzie!"

As the brothers rushed to the bars between our cells, I didn't even lift a hand as I flung Henriksen towards my toilet as quickly as I could. Stepping up to him, I used both my mental and physical strength to keep his face in the water.

He fought against me as the water began to burn him because of my cross in the bowl. But I didn't let him win. I couldn't let him win.

"Here!" Still focusing on Henriksen, I kicked the gun over to Dean.

Once he held it, I began to recite an exorcism.

" _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,_

 _omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii..._ "

The deputy came rushing in with a gun, but before he could do anything Dean aimed Henriksen's gun at him. "Stay back!"

Henriksen lifted his steaming face and yelled but I just pushed him back down and kept going.

Sam stood by the bars, watching me with worried and wide eyes. "Hurry up, Lizzie. Come on."

" _Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica._

 _Ergo, draco maledicte..._ "

Again, Henriksen lifted his head, showing me his black eyes as he cut me off. "It's too late. I already called them. They're already coming."

I shoved him back into the water and quickly finished the exorcism.

" _Ecclesiam tuam securi tibi facias libertate servire,_

 _te rogamus, audi nos._ "

Henriksen screamed as black smoke shot out of his mouth, up in the air and into the air vent in the ceiling. He fell to the ground just I fell back as well, breathing heavily.

"Liz, you okay?" Dean asked, keeping his eyes on the deputy.

"Yeah," I panted, trying to catch my breath. "I think so."

"Is he... is he dead?" Nancy asked from where she was peeking around the corner again, scared for other reasons now.

Henriksen began to cough then as he regained consciousness.

I quickly got to my feet, ready just in case. "That you in there?"

Carefully, Henriksen pulled himself onto the bed as he looked around, confused and dazed. "I… I shot the sheriff."

After a pause, Dean lowered his gun and grinned. "But you didn't shoot the deputy."

Ignoring him, Henriksen shook his head. "Five minutes ago, I was fine, and then…"

"Black smoke shoved itself down your throat?" I asked. When he looked up at me I nodded. "That's called possession."

"You were possessed," Sam told him.

"Possessed, like..." Henriksen looked to the brothers and then back to me. "Possessed?"

"That's what it feels like. Now you know," Sam answered. He knew how Henriksen was feeling. He was the only one of us to have been possessed.

Dean put the gun down, shaking his head. "I owe you the biggest 'I told you so' ever."

"Officer Amici." Henriksen stood slowly, turning to the deputy. "Keys." Once he had the keys in his hand he unlocked my cuffs and then handed them over so Sam and Dean could get themselves free. As our chains fell to the floor, Henriksen nodded. "All right, so how do we survive?"

**Bamby**


	24. Sacrifice?

**DPOV**

I sat on one of the desk in the office looking at a map of the building, my shirt pulled up and to the side as Liz stitched me up. Sam was moving around the building, painting Devil's traps. Nancy was sitting close by, unsure what to do and scared. While Henriksen and Phil- officer Amici- were gathering guns.

I watched them set the weapons on another desk. "Well, that's nice. It's not gonna do much good."

Phil looked confused. "We got an arsenal here."

"You don't poke a bear with BB gun. That's just gonna make them mad," I told him.

"What do you need?" he asked.

Liz didn't look away from stitching me up as she answered, "Salt. Lots of salt."

He continued to look confused. "Salt?"

I rolled my eyes. "What, is there an echo in here?"

"There's road salt in the storeroom," Nancy spoke up.

"Perfect." I nodded. "Perfect. We need salt at every window and every door."

Henriksen, Phil and Nancy all left to go get the salt, leaving Liz and I alone.

Watching her work, I stayed silent. It was nice, having her clean me up like this. It wasn't the first and I was hoping it wouldn't be the last time either. But still, every time I tried to enjoy it a little.

In our line of work, you gotta enjoy the little things while you can. This, the small touches, the way she took care of me, her focus on the task, the proximity without the usual heat. It was simple but still perfect.

Once she was finished she pulled my shirt back into place as her eyes made their way to meet mine. There was determination in her gaze, but I could see a little uncertainty as well.

She sighed as her hand came to rest on my good shoulder. "You know I'm gonna have to use-"

I cut her off, "I know. But not yet. Not until you really have to."

I understood that her ability was part of her, and I accepted it- I really did. But if she used it too much, if she's weak, tired or injured when she uses it, sometimes things get so bad she nearly dies. It's happened more than once. So yeah, I knew she'd have to use it eventually, but I rather she waited until we had no other options.

Phil came back in then, carrying bags of salt.

Pulling away from Liz, I turned to him. "Hey, where's my car?"

"Impound lot out back," he answered, moving to go get more salt.

"Okay." I nodded getting up and ready to head out to my Baby, knowing Liz would be right beside me.

Phil paused and turned to us. "Wait. You're not going out there?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I got to get something out of my trunk."

**EPOV**

As we neared the impound gate I watched it carefully and unlocked it with my mind, ignoring the look Dean gave me after that. We didn't have time to stop and argue so we just kept going. Reaching Baby, he pulled the trunk open and grabbed a bag before he started shoving things into it.

I reached out a hand. He handed me a gun with rock salt shells in it. Keeping watch, I held the gun, ready to shoot anything that might move towards us.

The lights of the impound began to flicker.

"Dean..."

"Yeah, I know." He quickly grabbed a few more things to shove in the bag.

Up ahead I watched as a storm of black smoke headed out way. "Dean!"

He slammed the trunk shut and grabbed my arm with his free hand, pulling me along as we rushed back to the station.

"They're coming!" Dean yelled as we closed the doors of the station, now inside. "Hurry!"

Black smoke started surrounding the building as we hurried to the main office where Henriksen was waiting. Sam, Nancy and Phil weren't too far behind us. Dean tossed his brother a gun which Sam caught effortlessly.

The lights began to flicker like they had before, before shutting off completely. Dust fell from the ceiling as the building shook.

Then the smoke seemed to disappear, leaving us in the dark still, but now also in silence.

"Everybody okay?" Sam asked, looking around.

"Define 'okay'," Henriksen told him.

"All right, everybody needs to put these on." Dean reached into his bag and pulled out some charms which he handed out to the civilians. "They'll keep you from being possessed. There you go."

Nancy took the last one, looking down at it and then to the brothers and myself. "What about you, Sam and Elizabeth?"

Dean and Sam moved at the same time, shifting their shirts to show the matching protect symbol tattoos that sat on their chests. I turned and lifted my hair, showing my tattoo that sat on the base of my neck.

"Smart." Henriksen nodded. "How long you had those?"

"Not long enough," Sam answered.

...

I stood with Dean as he leaned on a desk. He'd been staying close as we kept an eye out and waited. Right now, we were watching Henriksen as he lifted the sheriffs name plate off one of the desks.

I felt for the guy. I myself hadn't killed a human being. I'd killed plenty of other things, but I hadn't killed a human. Dean had. Sam had. Henriksen might have had some blood on his hands before as well. But this was different. This wasn't in his control. He'd been possessed and the victim had been an innocent.

"Hey, that's Jenna Rubner," Nancy spoke up from where she was standing by the window, looking out at the parking lot.

Sam moved over to join her. "That's not Jenna anymore."

I could see over his shoulder. The parking lot was beginning to crowd with a number of people. Or, well... demons in people suits.

Nancy looked up at him. "That's where all that black demon smoke went?"

Sam nodded. "Looks like."

**DPOV**

Liz and I sat in the main office, filling guns up with salt filled shells.

Henriksen came over to watch us. "Shotgun shells full of salt."

"Whatever works." I shrugged.

"Fighting off monsters with condiments." He laughed lightly, taking off his tie. "So. Turns out demons are real." He grabbed one of the guns and got to work as well.

I paused and looked to him. "FYI, ghosts are real too."

"So are werewolves," Liz added.

"Vampires."

"Changelings."

"Evil clowns that eat people," I finished.

Liz turned to me. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yep.

Henriksen shook his head. "Okay, then."

"If it makes you feel better, Bigfoot's a hoax." I smiled at him.

"It doesn't," he noted. "How many demons?"

"Total?" I shrugged, getting back to work. "No clue. A lot."

"You know what my job is?"

Cocking my gun, I got to my feet and moved towards him. "You mean besides locking up the good guys?" I asked, earning a chuckle from Liz. "I have no idea."

"My job is boring, it's frustrating," Henriksen started. "You work three years for one break, and then maybe you can save... a few people. Maybe. That's the payoff. I've been busting my ass for fifteen years to nail a handful of guys and all this while, there's something off in the corner so big. So yeah... sign me up for that big, frosty mug of wasting my damn life."

"How were you supposed to know?" Liz had a good point.

"Well, now I do." He looked to both of us. "What's out there? Can you guys beat it? Can you win?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering. "Honestly? I think the world's gonna end bloody. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't fight. We do have choices. I choose to go down swingin'." I grinned.

"Me too," Liz agreed from behind me.

Henriksen gave a short nod. "Plus, you got nothing to go home to but your brother and each other."

"Yeah." I nodded. "What about you? You rockin' the white picket fence?"

"Mm-mm." He shook his head. "Empty apartment, string of angry ex-wives. I'm right where you are." He chuckled.

I grinned again. "Imagine that."

There was a crash from somewhere in the building. The three of us rushed out, taking the lead as the other followed us to where the sound came from.

We ended up in a different, smaller room where a devil's trap was painted on the ground. In the middle of that trap stood a demon. But not just any demon. Ruby.

Henriksen aimed his gun at her. "How do we kill her?"

"We don't." Sam pushed Henriksen's gun down.

"She's a demon," Henriksen noted.

"She's here to help us," Sam assured him.

"Are you kidding?" Phil exclaimed.

Ruby watched Sam expectantly. "Are you gonna let me out?"

I sighed as Sam stepped forward, pulling out his knife and kneeling down before he scratched at the trap, freeing her.

"And they say chivalry's dead." Ruby stepped out of the circle, moving to the main office. "Does anyone have a breath mint? Some guts splattered in my mouth while I was killing my way in here."

Liz, Henriksen and I followed her closely, still ready to shoot just in case. I didn't care how many times Ruby saved us, I didn't trust her.

"How many are out there?" I asked, needing details.

"Thirty at least. That's so far."

"Oh, good. Thirty. Thirty hit men all gunning for us." I shook my head, getting pissed. "Who sent them?"

She looked over at Sam as he walked into the room. "You didn't tell them?" When Liz and I looked over at Sam confused, Ruby smirked. "Oh, I'm surprised."

"Tell us what?" Liz asked.

Ruby turned back to us. "There's a big new up and corner. Real pied piper."

"Who is he?"

Liz looked to me, a little offended and defensive. "Why does it have to be a he?"

"She's right." Ruby leaned against a desk. "It's a she. Her name is Lilith. And she really, _really_ wants Sam's intestines on a stick. 'Cause she sees him as competition."

I turned to Sam, now really pissed. "You knew about this?" He didn't answer. "Well, gee, Sam. Is there anything else I should know?!"

"How about the two of you talk about this later? We'll need the Colt." Ruby looked to Sam who looked away. She then looked to me, waiting. "Where's the Colt?"

"It got stolen," Sam told her.

"I'm sorry. I must have blood in my ear. I thought I just heard you say that you were stupid enough to let the Colt get grabbed out of your thick, clumsy, idiotic hands," she snapped, pushing off the desk and walking away, keeping her back to us as she came to a stop. "Fantastic. This is just peachy."

"Ruby..."

She raised a hand to stop him. "Shut up." She thought for a moment before turning to us again. "Fine. Since I don't see that there's no other option. There's one other way I know how to get you out of here alive."

I sat on a desk, waiting for her to go on. "What's that?"

"I know a spell. It'll vaporise every demon in a one-mile radius. Myself included!" She glared at Sam, Liz and myself. "So, you let the Colt out of your sight and now I have to die. So next time, be more careful. How's that for a dying wish?"

"Okay." Liz nodded, ready. "What do we need to do?"

"Aww..." Ruby smiled at her. "You can't do anything. This spell is very specific. It calls for a person of virtue."

I nodded. "I got virtue."

Ruby chuckled. "Nice try. You're not a virgin."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Nobody's a virgin." But as the words left my mouth Ruby slowly looked over at someone else. I followed her gaze to Nancy, who turned away shyly. "No. No way. You're kidding me. You're..."

Nancy shrugged, embarrassed. "What? It's a choice, okay?"

"So, y-you've never... not even once? I mean not even-" The look she gave me was answer enough. "Wow."

She turned to Ruby. "So, this spell. What can I do?" She smiled.

Ruby stepped closer to her slowly. "You can hold still... while I cut your heart out of your chest."

Nancy's eyes went wide. "What?"

I stepped between her and Ruby. "What? Are you crazy?"

"I'm offering a solution." Ruby shrugged as if this were no big deal to her. Though she's a demon, so it probably wasn't.

Liz shook her head. "Killing someone isn't a solution."

Ruby turned to look at her. "What do you think's gonna happen to this girl when the demons get in?"

"We're gonna protect her. That's what," Henriksen assured her.

"Very noble." Ruby rolled her eyes. "You're all gonna die. Look. This is the only way."

I shook my head. "Yeah, yeah. There's no way that you're gonna-"

"Would everybody please shut up?!" Nancy yelled over us, causing us all to fall silent and look to her. "All the people out there... will it save them?" She asked Ruby.

"It'll blow the demons out of their bodies. So if their bodies are okay... yeah."

There was a long pause before Nancy nodded. "I'll do it."

"Hell no," Henriksen spoke up.

I stood my ground. "No, no."

"Not happening," Liz added.

I looked to Nancy. "You don't need to do this."

"All my friends are out there."

"We don't sacrifice people," Henriksen spoke up again. "We do that, we're no better than them."

"We don't have a choice," Ruby argued.

"Yeah, well, your choice is not a choice," I told her.

She looked over to my brother. "Sam, you know I'm right."

When Liz, Ruby and I looked to Sam, waiting for a response, I couldn't believe it. He said and did nothing.

"Sam?" I asked expectantly, but still got nothing. "What the hell is going on? Sam, tell her."

Nancy stood up. "It's my decision."

Ruby grinned. "Damn straight, cherry pie."

"Stop!" I snapped. "Stop! Nobody kill any virgins." I looked to my brother again. "Sam, I need to talk to you." As I began to walk away I turned to Liz. "You watch her." I gestured to Ruby. Once Liz nodded, I walked off with Sam right behind me. We stopped in the next room. "Please tell me you're not actually considering this. We're talking about holding down a girl and cutting out her heart."

"And we're also talking about thirty people out there, Dean. Innocent people who are all gonna die, along with everyone in here," he noted.

But that meant nothing, not in our line of work. We saved _everyone_. "It doesn't mean that we throw away the rule book and stop acting like humans. I'm not gonna let that demon kill some nice, sweet, innocent girl, who hasn't even been laid. I mean, look, if that's how you win wars, then I don't want to win."

"Then what? What do we do, Dean?"

I turned away from a moment, thinking it over. An idea came to me, a bad one, but it was still better than Ruby's. "I got a plan. I'm not saying it's a good one. I'm not even saying that it'll work. But it sure as hell beats killing a virgin."

"Okay, so, what's the plan?"

"Open the doors, let them all in and we fight."

**EPOV**

I stood with Dean, the two of us keeping an eye on Ruby. She looked annoyed, sitting on one of the desks with her legs crossed in front of her. But I didn't care how she felt. Suggesting we kill someone to save everyone else was a bad choice. I was surprised she even thought we'd go for it.

Dean stepped closer to me, sighing. "I don't want you doing this."

I looked up at him, offering a small smile. "Best way to assure none of them get out."

"You know what can happen to you."

Reaching up, I played with the leather string necklace around his neck that a pendant hung from. "Dean, I'd rather it be me than anyone else."

"Or you could-"

I shut Ruby up with a single glare.

A door closed as Sam walked into the room.

"Get the equipment to work?" Dean asked, not moving away from me.

Sam nodded. "Yeah." He clearly didn't look happy.

Dean shrugged. "So?"

"So, this is insane."

"You win 'understatement of the year'," Ruby muttered.

Dean turned to her, just as annoyed with her as she was with us. "Look, I get it, you think-"

She cut him off. "I don't think... I know. It's not gonna work." She pushed herself off the desk and moved to leave. "So long."

"So, you're just gonna leave?" Sam called after her.

"Hey." She spun around to look at him. I was gonna kill myself to help you win. I'm not gonna stand here and watch you lose." Walking closer to Sam, she shook her head lightly. "And I'm disappointed because I tried. I really did, but clearly I bet on the wrong horse." She looked to each of us. "Do you mind letting me out?

**DPOV**

I pushed the doors open as I stood by one of the exits. Henriksen, Liz and Sam were at three others, armed and hopefully ready.

"All set?" I called.

"Set!"

"Yeah!"

"Ready!"

With that, I moved closer to my door way. "Let's do this."

I broke the salt line and leaned down to scratch at the devil's trap with my knife before I pulled back quickly, my gun raised. At first, nothing happened... but when it started, it started fast.

Demons came running around the corner, rushing into the building. I shot at them as best as I could, knowing some would pass me with the rate they were going. But I didn't have time to worry about that. I had to focus.

Shooting at the demons, I took down as many as I could, backing up as I did. I could hear other shots ringing through the building, knowing Sam, Henriksen and Liz could handle themselves.

I bumped into someone and only had a moment to look at Henriksen before we were shooting again.

Where there was a pause of demons, I nodded. "Go! Go! Go!"

We went in the opposite directions as he headed for the communications room and I moved to the main office.

I fought demons as I moved, pushing them out of my way, shooting them, doing whatever it took until I was in the main office. Sam and Liz were already there, standing back to back as they flung holy water at the demons surrounding them.

I fought my way through with salt, holy water and brute force. Once I was with my brother and Liz, I moved so the three of us were back to back now, still keeping the demons at bay as best as we could.

A female demon climbed onto a desk and moved towards us. She stretched out an arm, throwing the three of us against the wall, pinning us there.

I gasped in pain before yelling out, "Henriksen, now!"

There was a moment before a recording of Sam's voice could be heard over the speakers through the building.

" _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio, infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,omnis congregatio et secta diabolica._ "

The demons raised their hands, covering their ears as they began to yell out in pain.

" _Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te._ C _essa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare._ "

Rushing to the exits, the demons tried to escape but couldn't. As they'd been rushing in and fighting us, Nancy and Phil had salted the exits.

_"Vade, Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis._ "

The female demon lowered her hand, letting us go as she struggled against the exorcism.

" _Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt._ "

Now free, Liz landed on her feet and watched the demons before she raised her own hands. The force radiating off her was so strong it even winded Sam and me. But what it did to the demons was worse.

She pushed them all to the walls and floors, holding them there as the exorcism continued.

" _Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii,omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica._ "

Screams, cries of pains and Latin words filled my ears. But none of it distracted Liz. She kept the demons in their place as the exorcism came close to its end.

Blood dripped from her nose as her hands, arms, everything shook. She was weakening by the second. She wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. But still, she focused on holding the demons, ignoring the obvious pain she was in.

" _Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te._ "

All the demons opened their mouths as the black smoke inside them was forced out.

" _Cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire te rogamus, audi nos._ "

With nowhere to go the smoke circled in the air like a dark storm cloud before the pressure and energy built up so much that it all exploded in a bright light above us.

The moment it was over I had to rush to help Liz as she began to collapse.

"Whoa!" I grabbed her arm and held her to me to keep her from falling.

She was out of breath, blood dripping out of her nose as she found it hard the keep her eyes open. Yet she still managed a small smile. "How 'bout that, Ruby."

**EPOV**

I leaned against Dean, his arm around me. If I was being honest, the only reason I was still on my feet was because of him. My legs were like jelly, my head spinning as if I were on a roller coaster, and I was weak, shaking. I did not feel good.

"I better call in." Henriksen walked up to us. "Hell of a story I won't be telling."

Sam had been packing our things up but paused to look at him. "So, what are you gonna tell them?"

"The least ridiculous lie I can come up with in the next five minutes."

Dean grinned. "Good luck with that. Not to pressure you or anything, but what are you planning to do about us?"

"I'm gonna kill you," Henriksen answered simply. When we all looked shocked, he elaborated, "Sam and Dean Winchester, and Elizabeth Hart were in the chopper when it caught on fire. Nothing left. Can't even identify them with dental records. Rest in peace, guys."

Sam reached forward and shook his hand before Dean did the same.

As I reached for Henriksen, he paused, watching me carefully. "You never did say what happened-"

I cut him off, knowing where he was going, "You really don't wanna know."

"You're probably right." He smiled, finally shaking my hand. "Now get out of here." He said, walking off towards a phone.

Dean looked down at me. "Wanna get out of here?"

"Yes please." I leaned against him more, letting him practically carry me as we followed Sam out the exit.

**DPOV**

I was sitting on Sam's bed, watching Liz as she slept on mine. She'd been out for hours. Once we got in the car and laid her out on the back seat she'd fallen asleep and hadn't woken up. I had to carry her into the room.

Sam was lying on the couch, looking up at the ceiling blankly, deep in thought. Those thoughts were cut short at the sound of a knock on the door. He got up and moved to open it, stepping aside to let Ruby in.

She sighed, walking into the room without a word.

"You came to apologise?" I asked smugly.

She glared at me. "No." Pulling out a few small hex bags from her pockets, she threw two to me and one to Sam.

I looked down at the bags. "What's in these?"

"Something that'll protect you. Throw Lilith off your trail… for the time being, at least."

"Thanks," Sam mumbled.

She turned her glare to him. "Don't thank me. You may have saved everyone but Lilith is still after you. And now your biggest asset is damaged goods." She gestured to Liz. "You think she's gonna bounce back from this one like it was nothing? She almost _died_ in there." She looked between Sam and me. "Next time, we go with my plan," she snapped before storming out of the room.

Both Sam and I turned to Liz then, wondering how much damage she might have done...

**Bamby**


	25. Ghostfacers

**DPOV**

I looked through the rear-view mirror to Liz as she sat in the back seat, looking out the window. Ruby hadn't been wrong when we saw her a few weeks ago. Since dealing with all those demons at the police station, Liz hadn't completely recovered. She got tired a lot faster than usual. Dizzy spells and headaches come and go. There were even a couple of times where she'd blacked out.

At first Sam and I thought it would be best if she stayed with Bobby, but he still went hunting and I didn't like the idea of her being alone. Besides, I had no idea how long it would take before she'd be better, and seeing as my own time was running out I really didn't want to give up any time I could spend with her or Sam.

Sure, this case probably wasn't the best idea. But it was something I'd wanted to do for years, and she insisted she was fine. As long as she stayed close and tried to be careful, we'd do the best we could.

I slowed the car down as we came to the only house on the street. Sam shined the light of his torch outside his window, taking a look at the house. Morton House, to be exact.

We'd found missing stringing along years. Whenever someone stayed at the Morton House on the 29th of February, they were never seen again.

"We doing this?" Sam asked.

Liz caught my eyes in the mirror, giving a gentle nod.

Turning back to Sam, I nodded. "Let's do this."

**EPOV**

Dean and Sam were sticking close to me as we moved through the Morton House. I understood why. They were worried. But I honesty felt fine. As long as I didn't move too fast or do too much... which was probably a bad thing considering our jobs.

But still, I didn't want to go stay with Bobby, which is what the brothers suggested after we realised it was taking me awhile to get better.

Moving through the house, we came to a stop as two lights turned to shine on us followed by the sound of two men screaming.

Dean turned his torch to them. "Freeze! Police officers! Don't move!" He moved forward, Sam and I behind.

"All right. All right. Take it easy, take it easy," Same told them. "Let's see some identification."

"Come on. Let's see some ID," I ordered.

The younger looking one who was dressed in camo gear, was practically shaking he was so scared. "What- are we under... under arrest?"

"We are unarmed," the one with the glasses assured us.

Dean took their ID's, looking at the camo guy's first. "Want to explain that weirdo outfit, Mr, uh, Corbett?"

Before Corbett could answer, the other guy no longer looked scared as he watched Sam and Dean. "I know you."

Dean paused a moment before shaking his head. "Yeah, sure you do. Give me some identification."

"Yeah, ho- whoa, hold on a second. I know the both of you guys. Yeah." Glasses nodded, gesturing to the brothers.

Corbett looked confused. "What?"

As I looked to each brother, I noticed the exact moment Sam seemed to recognise Glasses. "Holy shit!"

Just like Corbett, I was totally confused. "What?"

Sam looked to Dean. "Uh, West Texas... the... the tulpa we had to take out. Those two goofballs that almost got us killed... The Hellhounds or something?"

It took a moment before Dean seemed to remember. "Fuck me."

Glasses shook his head. "Yeah, we're not Hellhounds anymore, okay? It didn't test that well."

"Ed, what's going on?" Corbett asked.

Glasses- or Ed- answered. "They're not cops, buddy. No, not at all."

"Ed." Dean nodded. "Ed, you had a partner, too, didn't you? A different guy?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah."

"Is he around here somewhere?"

"He's running around, chasing ghosts."

"Okay, well, listen, you and Rambo need to get your girlfriends and get out of here."

Ed chuckled, stepping closer to Dean. "All right. Listen here, chisel chest, okay? We were here first. We've already set up base camp. We beat you."

Dean turned to Sam. "They were here first."

"Mm hmm." Ed looked so smug.

Dean grabbed Ed and pushed him up against the wall with enough force to cause a grunt to escape Ed's lips. I stood back a watched, smiling lightly. No one messes with Dean.

"Ed..." Dean started.

"Yeah?"

"Where's your partner?"

...

Now on the ground floor, in the front living room with the brothers, Corbett and Ed, I looked around at their gear. They had quite a bit of stuff for amateurs. Of course, most of it was useless. Most of it was camera stuff.

 _Are they filming a show?_ It would explain why they were both carrying cameras, and why Corbett had a few attached to his outfit.

"What are you doing in the Morton House, Ed. On a leap year. What are you thinking?" Dean was not happy. He heated it when civilians meddled with things they didn't understand.

"We're here to spend the night, okay? It's for our TV show," Ed explained as if that was common news.

_Well, I was right about the camera._

Sam sighed. "What? Great. Perfect."

"Yeah, nobody's ever spent the night before." Corbett was a cheerful guy I noticed, even in these circumstances.

I looked over my shoulder to correct them. "Uh, actually, they have."

"Uh, we've never heard of them," Ed noted before shining his light on me. "And what's with the girl? She wasn't with you last time."

"Leave her alone," Dean warned.

"You wanna know why you haven't heard about the people that have stayed here? It's because none of them lived to talk about it." Sam dumped his bag on their table, reaching in to pull out some papers. "Look. Missing-persons reports going back almost a half century. John Graham stayed on a dare. Gone. Julie Wilkerson. Gone. There are tons more. All of them came to just stay the night through, always on a leap year. The only body they ever found was the last owner, Freeman Daggett."

Ed grabbed the papers, looking through them. "These look legit."

"They are legit," Sam told him. "Look, Ed, we ain't got much time here, buddy. Starting at midnight, your friends are going to die."

As if on cue, three people came rushing down the stairs, yelling and going on about something I couldn't quite understand.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Guys! Guys! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! We got one! Corbett! Corbett, we saw one!" The skinner guy came rushing over to Corbett. "We saw one! It was a full apparition! It was like a class four. It was a spectral illumination! It-" He cut himself off, his eyes landing on Dean and Sam. "Hey, aren't those the assholes from Texas?"

"Yes," Ed answered simply.

I chuckled lightly. "You two are popular." I grinned at Dean.

The two new guys turned to me.

"Who's the hot chick?" the slightly bigger one asked, running his camera up and down me.

Dean rolled his eyes. "All right, let's have this reunion across the street, guys." He tried directing them to the front door. "Come on, come on. We'll get you ice cream. Our treat. What do you say? Let's go."

But they all ignored us, moving to crowd the computers.

The skinny one shook his head. "Yeah, I say no."

"Look at this." The girl gestured to the computer. "Look, look. Ed, Ed. No. No. Look at this. Okay, honest-to-god proof, all right?" She showed the group their footage on the laptop.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Yeah. No, not kidding."

"What kind of reading did we get?" Ed asked.

The skinny one answered. "Uh, it was a 10.9."

Ed was impressed. "10.9?"

"Yeah, it was 10.9. It was almost 11. I came out, and I was like, 'what's going on?' And I was like-" The skinny one cut himself short again, pointing to the screen. "Wait, watch this. Oh! He got blasted. It was crazy."

Shaking my head, I walked over to Sam and Dean as they stepped out into the walkway.

"Think we were off on this?" Sam asked. "I mean, that was just a death echo," he noted, having seen part of the footage.

"Yeah, but what's it doing here? Did anybody get shot here?"

I shook my head at Dean's question. "I didn't find any record of someone getting shot."

"Me neither," Sam added.

"What's a death echo?" We looked over to see the bigger guy standing a few feet away, recording us.

"Look, we got a problem here. That ghost ain't it," Sam told him.

"What's a death echo?" the guy repeated.

Dean sighed as he began to explain it. "Echoes are trapped in a loop, okay? They keep replaying how they died over and over and over again, usually in the place where they were ganked. It's about as dangerous as a scary movie."

"Chances are the echo isn't dangerous," I added. "But something else here is."

Dean nodded to me. "You're right. All right, we need to get out of here, guys. Come on. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Pack it up."

Sam started towards the others. "Guys, time is running out!"

"We're moving!" Dean ordered.

"What about all of our equipment?" the girl asked. "What are we gonna-"

Dean cut her off, "Lots of fun. Let's go."

"We got more material. We got all kinds of stuff. We'll make you guys recurring guest stars," the skinny one offered.

"Wait! Wait!" Ed called out, stopping all of us as he looked around the room. "Where's Corbett?"

...

Dean grabbed Ed, pulling him towards the door. Sam, Dean and I didn't need to say anything to have a plan. We all understood what had to be done. We needed to get these guys out of here. Then Sam and Dean would come back and look for Corbett while I kept the others safe.

But they weren't making it easy.

Ed struggled against Dean. "No man left behind."

A scream rang through the house.

Ed froze "That was Corbett."

With that, the nerds started to panic as they rushed for the stairs.

"That was Corbett! Corbett!"

"Corbett! it's okay!"

"Corbett, don't worry!"

"Where are you, dude?!"

"Corbett!"

"Guys!" Sam yelled after them, but they just kept going.

...

We rounded the corner of the hallway, finding the others as they continued to look for their friend. We could still hear Corbett's screams. But there was no way to pin point them. It was like they were bouncing off the walls.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Come on," Dean called.

Sam stepped up to the others. "He's not here. Let's go. Let's go."

The skinny one started to argue. "No. No. No. But that's Corbett. No, that was Corbett. Didn't you hear that?"

Dean ignored him, trying to lead them out of there. "Go, go, go, come on."

"He's this way," I told them. "Come on. He's this way." One by one they started following Sam and me.

"Here we go." Sam nodded. "Here we go. Keep it moving. Keep it moving."

Everyone was yelling over each other as we moved through the house. I knew there was no way we were going to get these guys to leave without their friend, but we needed to keep them moving and keep them together. That would hopeful keep the ghost from getting anyone else.

...

I stood with the brother by the front door again, watching as Sam tried to open the door. But it was too late. It was past midnight.

Giving up, Sam stood, turning to his brother, pissed. "Well, it's 12:04, Dean. You good? You happy?"

"Yeah, I am happy," Dean answered sarcastically.

I stepped back as Sam shook his head at him. "'Let's go hunt the Morton house,' you said, 'it's our Grand Canyon'."

"Sam, I don't want to hear this."

"You got two months left, Dean. Instead, we're gonna die tonight." Sam picked up a chair and threw it at the door. It smashed on impact, breaking into pieces.

"Whoa!" The bigger guy- who I now knew was called Spruce- came over to us. "What the hell is going on guys?"

Sam turned to him, still very, very pissed. "I'll tell you what's going on. Every door, every window, I'm guessing every exit out of this house. They're all sealed."

Maggie- the girl- had overheard him. "But w-why are they sealed?"

"It's a supernatural lockdown, okay?" Dean explained. "Whatever took Corbett doesn't want us to leave, and it's no death echo. This is a bad mother, and it wants us scared."

One of the EMF readers began to go off suddenly.

Spruce looked through his camera. "Uh, guys, the camera's fritzing again."

Ed checked the EMF reader. "Whoa. Whoa. Guys, the EMF's starting to spike. This is a big one!"

"Okay." I stepped closer to everyone. "Stay close. Something's coming, so everyone stick together."

Another apparition appeared.

It was a heavy-set man who appeared to be drunk. He clearly had no idea he was a ghost, which was normal for an echo, as he played out what must have been his last moments alive.

"Is this the same echo you guys saw earlier?" Dean asked.

"No, it's a different guy," Harry- the one, besides Ed, who recognised the guys- answered.

Dean sounded as confused as I felt. "Multiple echoes? What the hell's going on?"

Sam shook his head. "Beats me."

"Okay. All right. All right. All right." Dean moved to the apparition, standing in front of it as he began to yell and wave his hands around. "Uh, hey, buddy! Hey. Hey. Wake up. You're dead! Hello!"

"What's he doing?" Harry turned to Sam and I. "What's he doing?"

"It's rare, but sometimes you can shock an echo out of its loop if you can talk to the part of the ghost that's still human," Sam explained.

"But usually you have to have some kind of connection to the deceased," I added.

"Come on!" Dean was still yelling. "Wake up! Be dead! Huh?"

"You guys hear that?" Harry asked, looking around.

Ed seemed to hear it too. "What's that sound?"

"You guys hear that?" Harry repeated, freaking out.

"Snap out of it, buddy, huh?" Dean kept going. "Come on, what are you waiting for? You're gonzo! You're dead!"

Suddenly, bright lights shined on the apparition before we heard the sound of a train horn blearing. It was as if the apparition was hit by an invisible force, flying backwards as blood spurted over the place like if a train had hit him.

We all flinched back at the brutality of the moment. Then it was all gone.

When it was over, Harry was looking around again, still freaked. "Where the hell did it go?"

...

"Dude, there's no records of any of this here. No one got shot here. Obviously, no one got run over by a freaking train." Dean told Sam and I as we walked through the house, trying to find Corbett or anything that could help us get the hell out of here.

The other were right behind us, scared and way out of their league.

"Did the echoes take Corbett?" Maggie asked.

"Yes," Dean answered automatically before he corrected himself. "No. I don't know. We don't know what's doing what here. That's what we're trying to figure out, okay?

"All right, stay close," Sam told them. "Okay, look, um, death echoes are ghosts, okay? Now, ghosts. They usually haunt places where they lived or where they died."

"Except these mooks didn't live or die here," Dean noted.

"So, what are they doing here?" Maggie was doing all the questioning as she filmed us.

"Hey, give the lady a cigar." Dean turned to her, grinning sarcastically. Until his eyes landed on the camera. "All right, seriously, does looking at this nightmare through that camera make you feel better or something? I mean..."

"Um... I, uh..." She hesitated before nodding. "Well, yeah. Uh, yeah. I think so. Mm-hm."

Before Dean could respond, I grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

...

We entered some kind of office, with stuffed animal heads on the walls. Taxidermy freaked me out, but dusty, old, creepy taxidermy? Yeah this was the worst.

Sam moved to one of the desks, grabbing what looked like a framed certificate. "Freeman Daggett, house's last owner, officially commended for 20 years of fine service at the Gamble General Hospital."

"He was a doctor?" Dean and I asked at the same time.

Sam shook his head, turning to us. "Janitor."

"This looks like his den," Dena noted. "When'd you say he died. '64?"

"Yeah, heart attack." Sam answered.

"What are these, C-rations?" Maggie shined her torch light on a cabinet full of boxes.

Dean moved over to check it out. "Yeah, army-issued, three squares. Like a lifetime supply."

"God, is that all he ate?"

"One-stop shopping."

I moved to one of the lockers, finding a safe. When I tried it, it wouldn't budge. "We got a locked one," I called over my shoulder. A moment after, Dean was behind me, but before he could do anything, I used my mind to unlock it.

Dean turned to me, disapproving. "Liz."

"I know. But it's faster and we don't have a lot of time," I noted. I was vaguely aware of Ed talking behind us. "You know, I could even try getting us out-"

"No," Dean cut me off sharply, stepping closer. "No more, Liz." He left no room for discussion as he pulled open the locker and took the large box out of it.

"Huh." Sam began to read for a pamphlet he found, "' _Survival Under Atomic Attack_ ' An optimist."

Dean put the box down on one of the tables and started going through it. "Crap." He threw some stuff out. "Crap." He threw more out. "Taxidermy." More thrown out. "Okay. You said Daggett was a hospital janitor?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded, coming over as we all watched Dean.

"Eww." Dean pulled out three tags. "Got three toe tags here. One, death by gunshots, train accident, and suicide."

My face twisted in disgust. "Oh, God! Eww."

Sam looked just as grossed out as he stood next to me. "Eww!"

Harry looked confused. "What?"

"Well, that explains why all the death echoes are here." Sam tuned to the others to explain. "They're here because their bodies are here... somewhere in the house?"

"Daggett brought the remains home from the morgue," I added.

"To _play_ ," Dean finished.

It took a moment before Harry and Ed got it. "Eww! Ugh!"

Spruce shook his head. "That's nasty, dude."

"Right." Sam nodded.

Dean paused a moment, looking around the room. "Wait a minute."

I sighed, realising what he'd noticed. "Where's Maggie?"

**DPOV**

I found Maggie in one of the rooms, freaking herself out as she tried to find Corbett. She turned to me, her flash light shining in my face as she jumped and gasped.

"Closer to the herd, okay?" I told her.

"Maggie?" Harry came rushing over, with the others behind him. "Maggie?"

"She's fine," I assured them.

Liz and Sam waited for me before we lead them back through the house again. I watched Liz carefully. I hated the fact she'd used her abilities. It may have only been for something small, but I was beginning to think it was like an addiction. She used it for anything and everything, and couldn't seem to stop.

"Harry. Harry, I got an 8.6 and climbing fast. Something huge is coming. Look. Something big is coming." Ed called as we all entered the office again.

Harry checked his watch. "It's past 11, you guys."

"What?" I stopped in the middle of the room, not liking the sound of that. "Nobody move! Hold on. Hold on. Stay quiet."

The torches went out, leaving us in the dark.

"No!" Liz yelled out before there was a crash against some boxes.

"Liz." I tried following the noise, moving towards it. "Liz!"

The torches flicked on suddenly.

I found Liz lying in a pile of boxed rations, looking a little out of it. Moving to help her, I made sure she was okay.

"What happened?"

She shook her head. "I felt something touch me and I tried pushing it away, but I couldn't see. Next thing I knew, I was the one flying through the-" She cut herself short as she looked over my shoulder. "Where's Sam?"

I spun around to see Sam missing from our group. "Sam?" I called. "Sam?"

Spruce looked around the room from where he stood, recording. "Where'd he go?"

Maggie gasped. "Oh, no."

I moved to where Sam had been standing, the only sign he'd been there was hi torch that sat on the ground. I picked it up and stood again, tensing my jaw as a bad feeling settled in my stomach.

"Sam!"

**EPOV**

Dean's hand had a firm grip on mine as he stormed through the house, looking for his brother. "Sammy!"

"Corbett!" Ed called. "Sam!"

"Corbett! Talk to us!" Harry joined.

"Sam!" Dean's panic was practically radiating off him. It was increasing my own worry, which was making me feel worse.

Whatever had pushed me had been strong, and I was still a little woozy from the impact. But Sam's safety was more important at that moment, so I was determined to fight though it for the sake of my friend.

"Corbett! Corbett!"

"Sam!"

"Sammy!"

...

"Dean." I tugged on his arm, looking behind us. "Dean, we lost the others."

He came to a sudden halt, turning to see that we had, in fact, lost the others. All of them. They were gone.

"Great!" He groaned as his grip tightened on my hand.

We followed the sound of what I guessed was arguing and some kind of fight.

When we found Spruce, he was standing in a doorway, filming Ed and Harry struggle with each other in the worst fight I'd ever seen. Maggie stood off to the side, yelling at them to stop.

Dean pushed through the group, letting go of my hand as he grabbed Ed and Harry, pulling them apart. "What the fuck are you doing?! Cut it out! We're down by two people." Shaking his head, he came back to me, grabbing my hand again as we continued our search. "Sam! Sammy!"

**SPOV**

I was tied to a chair in an almost completely dark room. If it wasn't for the lights on Corbett's many cameras, I wouldn't have been able to see anything as I woke up.

We were in the basement, sitting and tied to a chair each. We were both on the ends of a table, some of the other chairs occupied by what I assumed were the bodies of the echoes that were stuck here.

The place was a mess, covered in thick layers of dust and many spider webs. But I could still see the gist of how everything was decorated. It was like some old, twisted children's birthday party.

 _It's My Party_ was playing in the background, skipping so it repeated the chorus over and over again. Cake sat on the confetti covered table, party hats on the corpses' heads.

On the other end of the table, Corbett began to wake.

"Corbett," I called to him with hushed tones. "Corbett. Hey. Corbett, hey."

Slowly, he woke up and looked over at me. "Sam?"

"Corbett, hey, you got to keep listening to my voice, okay? I'm right here. Stay awake."

"Don't listen," another voice spoke. I watched as a tall man- who I assumed was Dagget- came into view, picking something off the table before moving to stand behind Corbett. "It stops hurting, so don't worry."

I tried to sound calm as I focused on Corbett, but my voice still shook a little. "Corbett, stay with me. Stay with me, you got it? I'm right here. Hey. Stay with me. Don't," I told Dagget. "Don't!"

He ignored me, piercing whatever he'd grabbed right through the back of Corbett's throat until it poked through the front, killing Corbett.

"No. Corbett! No! Corbett!"

**DPOV**

"Corbett! Where'd you guys go?"

"Where are you guys?"

"Dean, what are you doing?"

I sat Liz down on the chair next to me, the stress and everything tiring her out. _Yeah, maybe hunting with her like this wasn't our best idea_.

But we were here now, and I had to work, which is why I was going through Dagget's box of thing's again.

"Okay, so Daggett was a cold war nut, okay? He was- he was an amateur taxidermist. He liked to slow dance with cadavers, and all he ate were C rations. So what the hell are we looking for?!" I threw some stuff off the table.

Maggie shook her head. "Horrible little life."

I paused at her words. "Yeah, a lonely life... a cold war life. He was scared. He was scared... he was scared."

"Scared of what? What?" Harry called after me as I grabbed Liz's hand again and rushed out of the room, pulling her along. "Dean, where are you going?"

"Wait, don't leave me in here, you guys." Maggie followed behind the rest of us.

...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going?"

I let go of Liz's hand as I answered Maggie's question and moved to the basement door. "Guys like Daggett back then, the ones who were really scared of the Russkies. They built bomb shelters. I'm guessing he's got one. I'll bet you it's in the basement."

Opening the door, I stepped in and headed down the stairs, Spruce right behind me with the other close behind. That was until the basement door slammed shut.

Spruce paused, looking at the closed door. "Um, who closed the door?"

"Shit." I hurried back up to the door. "It did. It wants to separate us," I told him as I tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. Without having to see her, I could practically feel Liz getting ready to open the door with her mind. "Don't, Liz!"

"Dean?" She was right there on the other side.

"Listen to me! Get the others, go to my duffle bag and get the salt! Make a circle and get inside!"

"But Dean-"

I sighed, hearing how much she was hating this, which was about the same amount as I was hating it. "Liz, just do it, please."

There was a short pause before she answered. "Okay, just... be safe."

We didn't need to say anything else before we moved, getting to work.

**EPOV**

Despite how crap I felt and how worried I was, I still managed to make a ring of salt and order the others to get in it with me.

"Guys, guys, I don't want to die, okay?" Harry looked to his friends, clearly freaking out on a massive scale. "And I don't want you to die."

"Harry, listen- listen to me, okay?" Ed put a hand on Harry's shoulder to show some kind of support. "Listen. If we don't die... it's totally okay if you, uh, do my sister."

I rolled my eyes and groaned, while Maggie punched Ed.

"Nice." She glared at him. There was a pause before out lights began to flicker. "Hey guys, hey guys, it's coming again," she noted, looking through the camera.

"Oh, god. Oh, okay. Guys. Get in close." Ed pulled the three of them together so they were huddled in a circle.

I kept my back to them, facing the outside of the circle, watching for whatever was coming. Despite Sam and Dean not wanting me to use my ability, if I had no other choice, I was going to do it.

"Oh, god."

"Oh god, oh god."

As I continued to look around, I froze as an apparition appeared. Only it wasn't just any apparition... it was Corbett. A bloody, frozen on the spot, unable to speak, Corbett.

**DPOV**

Spruce followed me as I searched the basement, his camera watching my every move. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Earlier, you, Sam and Lizzie... Sam said you had two months left?"

"Yeah, it's complicated. A while ago..." I cut myself and stopped, looking at the camera. "No. No. No. I'm not gonna whine about my fucking problems to some fucking reality show. I'm gonna do my fucking job." Shaking my head, I continued my search.

"Is it cancer?"

"Shut up," I snapped, moving on. Until I was stopped by some kind of sound. "You hear that?"

"Is that music?"

"Yeah, it's coming from behind this wall." I gestured to a cabinet before grabbing and moving it out of the way, pulling it from the wall.

"Wow, you're strong."

I turned to flip the camera off before I moved to open the door I'd uncovered. When it wouldn't open, I broke it down. "Sam!" Stepping in, I moved quickly, pulling out my gun and shooting Dagget.

Hurrying over I started untying Sam as Spruce moved to look around the room.

"Oh god." He filmed all the dead bodies, the camera stopping on the newest one. "Oh, no, Corbett."

**EPOV**

We all sat in the circle, waiting. Well, I was waiting, the others were waiting _and_ freaking out.

"Oh god, what have we done?" Ed rocked himself pack and forth. "Oh god."

"Ed." Harry rested a hand on his friend's shoulder, stopping his rocking. "Ed."

"Yeah?"

"Corbett's a- he's a death echo. He's reliving his own murder."

"Over and over forever," Maggie added.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, taking a deep breath to control my annoyance. _Dean better hurry up._

**SPOV**

"What's this Daggett guy's problem anyway?" Spruce asked as the three of us left the bunker and walked into the basement.

"Loneliness," I answered.

"What, he's never heard of a Realdoll?" Dean was only half joking.

"No, no, no." I shook my head. "Daggett was the Norman Bates, stuff-your-mother kind of lonely. I mean, that's why he lifted these bodies from the morgue, threw himself a birthday party, except they were the only ones who would come. Anyway, so, at midnight, he sealed them in the bomb shelter and went upstairs and OD'd on horse tranqus."

Dean looked to me, confused. "How do you know this?"

"'Cause he told me."

"Oh." He nodded, surprised. "Okay, so now that he's dead, what? Same song, different verse, trying to get people to come to his party?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Stay forever."

"Are those real bullets?" Spruce gestured Dean's gun.

"It's rock salt."

**EPOV**

Harry was singing softly, staring blankly ahead. " _Ghostfacers. We go to places the others will not. Ghostfacers. Stay in the kitchen when the kitchen gets hot._ "

The lights began to flicker again.

"Guys?" Maggie faced the camera towards the walkway. "Corbett..."

Once again, he appeared, acting just like he had before. Unmoving and silent, moving slightly and making undiscernible noises as if he were choking.

Ed paused as if he just realised something. "Guys, it's-it's Corbett. He's-he's-he's trapped. He's in a lot of pain, you know? We got to try and... We got to try and pull him out of his loop. We have to." he stood quickly, turning to face Corbett.

"Ed?" Harry watched him.

"Corbett. Corbett, it's- oh, God."

"Don't cross the line of salt."

Ed hesitated a moment before shaking his head and stepping over the salt. "I gotta do it, Harry. Corbett, listen to me. Okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. Listen. Listen. Oh, god. Corbett. Oh."

"Get back!" Harry warned.

Corbett's ghost began to flicker, causing Ed to jump back and retreat back into the circle.

Ed shook his head in defeat. "I can't, okay? He's not hearing me, okay? He won't stop dying."

**DPOV**

I was trying to break down the door so we could get out of the basement. Part of me was actually wishing for Liz's help. But I was glad she had listened to me and left the door alone. I just hoped she and the others were okay.

"Seriously?" Sam looked to Spruce who was still recording. "You're still shooting?"

"It makes him feel better," I explained. "Don't ask."

The light began to flicker then.

"Ah, hell, guys. Get in your ghost-role thing. Something's coming." Spruce warned as he spun around. He yelled out as Dagget pushed him to the ground, "Oh, my- oh!"

Dagget moved towards him, but Sam reacted quickly, shooting the ghost. Dagget disappeared... for the time being.

**EPOV**

Harry nodded. "I... I know how we can get through to him."

"How?" Ed asked.

"Ed..." Harry hesitated a moment before going on. "He had feelings for you."

Ed looked totally confused. "Huh?"

"He wanted you," Harry explained.

"Wa-wanted me to what?"

I rolled my eyes, patience gone. "Corbett was in love with you. He was gay for you."

Harry nodded at me. "Exactly." He turned back to Ed. "And you know what you've got to do. You can do it, Ed. You've always been the brave one. Yes, you can. You make us brave. Maggie, right?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah you do. You totally do."

"Ed... you got to go be gay for that poor, dead intern. You got to send him into the light," Harry encouraged.

Ed hesitated a moment, looking over to Corbet before he carefully steeped out of the circle and over to the apparition. "Corbett."

"Maggie, no. no." Harry tried to stop her from leaving the circle as well.

"It's okay," she assured him, moving over to record Ed with Corbett.

"Corbett, look," Ed started, taking his glasses off as he spoke. "Hey, it's just Ed, buddy. It's just me. Hey, hey, Corbett, listen to me. Listen to me. I- we... okay. You meant... Corbett, you meant a lot to the team. You meant... you meant a lot to me. You know, never back down... never say a bad word, okay? I remember that, Corbett. I-I remember that. I remember because I love you, Corbett. I really, truly love you. Do you remember that? do you?"

Slowly, recognition appeared on Corbett's face as he looked _at_ Ed. "Hey. Ed?"

"Yeah. Yeah, Corbett, it's... Corbett, yeah, it's me. It's me. look at me. You got to help us, man. you have to help us, Corbett. Please. please. Please help us right now."

**SPOV**

"Take it easy. You all right?" I asked Spruce, helping him back to his feet.

He went to respond when the lights began to flicker again. "Uh, guys..."

Suddenly Dean flew through the air as Dagget threw him across the room. He grabbed me then, shoving me against the wall before he moved to attack Spruce.

Spruce backed up as much as he could. "This is bad. Very bad."

But before Dagget could get him the lights began to flicker again. Then, out of nowhere, Corbett appeared behind Dagget.

"Corbett?"

Corbett threw himself at Dagget, the two ghosts then began to struggle against each other, turning into a ball of light and dark smoke. A bright light followed as Corbett won, destroying Dagget's ghost and setting himself free at the same time.

With the ghosts gone, Spruce moved to Dean who was closer to him. "You all right, dude?"

Dean groaned, getting to his feet without a word

Spruce turned to me. "You all right?"

"God." I let out a pained grunt, getting to my own feet.

He recorded us as Dean came over to make sure I was okay. But the moment he realised we were still being film, Dean turned to Spruce and reached out to cover the lens with his hand. It was safe to say his patience was gone.

**EPOV**

I leaned on Dean, ignoring the cameras that were still on us as we walked down the Morton House porch steps. The sun was up and Dagget was gone. Once again, we'd won.

Stopping in front of Ed, I offered a small smile. "Thanks for, you know... helping Corbett. You did good."

He nodded. "Thanks for saving us."

Sam reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and offering it to Ed. "Call us if you ever run into trouble. Because doing this," he gestured to the house, "it's not as easy as it looks."

"Yeah." Ed chuckled lightly. "I think we get that now."

Hoping that they really had learnt their lesson, Sam, Dean and I headed to the Impala, ready to get the hell out of there.

**DPOV**

I sat with Sam and Liz, looking at a computer screen in the Ghostfacers' garage. They'd invited us over to see the movie they made of the Morton House case, and... I had mixed feelings about it. Sure, it was weird, but what was worse was seeing Sam, Liz and I on screen.

"So, guys, what do you think?" Ed asked excitedly. "Are you alright?"

I recovered, chuckling lightly as I looked over my shoulder at him. "You know, I kind of think it was half-awesome."

"Half-awesome?" Maggie beamed. "That-that's full-on good, right?"

"Yeah." Sam gave me a short nod before he turned to the others. "I mean it's bizarre how you all are able to honour Corbett's memory while grossly exploiting the manner of his death. Well done."

While he was talking I reached into the bag set between us, pressing a button, which went unnoticed by the others.

"It's a real risk you guys are taking here," Liz noted. "But good on you."

"Yeah, all right guys." Sam nodded as the three of us got up and moved to leave.

"Nah, that's reality, man," Ed called after us. "Yeah, Corbett gave his life searching for the truth, and it's our job over here to share it with the world."

Sam shrugged. "Right. Well, um, our experience, you know what you get when you show the world the truth?"

"A straightjacket," Liz answered.

"Or a punch in the face," I added. "Sometimes both."

Sam gave a short nod. "Right."

Harry scoffed. "Oh, come on, guys, don't be 'facer haters just because we happen to have gotten the footage of the century."

"Oh yeah," Ed agreed.

I watched them for a moment, wondering how they thought they were right. But instead of saying anything, I simply shrugged. "You got us there. Well we'll see you guys around."

"Peace out," Spruce called as we left, Ed closing the door behind us.

...

We hurried to the car, knowing we didn't have much time before they found the bag we'd left in the garage.

"We clean?" Sam asked.

Right on time, we could hear Ed and Harry yelling out in frustration.

We quickly got into the car

Once seated with my door closed, I looked to Sam. "Electromagnet wiped out every tape and hard drive that they have."

Sam shook his head. "The world just isn't ready for the Ghostfacers."

"It's too bad. I kinda liked the show." I grinned, looking through the rear-view mirror to Liz. "You wanna get out of here?"

Putting her seatbelt on, she smirked back at me. "Yes please."

**Bamby**


	26. Dad?

**EPOV**

Things were... tense. That was blatantly obvious. Dean and Sam were not exactly the type of guys to speak their feelings. So as the last couple of weeks had gone by Sam was avidly trying to find a way to save Dean, but Dean was determined to find Bela, and I'd been somewhat stuck in the middle.

Most of me wanted to leave Bela alone and focus on saving Dean. But at the same time, I was getting less and less hopeful that we would find some kind of free pass that might save his ass. Yes, I wanted a way. But it really felt like there might not be one.

I was sitting on a bench next to Dean, the two of us enjoying a hotdog each while he was on the phone. Movement caught my eye as Sam headed over towards our bench.

"Yep. I got it. Okay, bye," Dean spoke into the phone before hanging up.

I reached over for a can of soda, tossing it to Sam who effortlessly caught it. We both smiled at each other as Dean stood and shoved the last of his food in his mouth before speaking again.

"So?" he asked his brother, with a mouth full of food.

Sam sighed. "So, the professor doesn't know crap."

"Shocking." Dean's sarcasm was so obvious. He walked past his brother, ready to get out of there. "Pack your panties, we're hitting the road," he told both Sam and I.

Sam frowned, turning to watch his brother with a confused look on his face. "What? What's up?"

"That was Bobby," Dean explained, stopping to turn to face us. "Some banker guy blew his head off in Ohio and he thinks there's a spirit involved."

"So, you two were talking a case?" Sam asked.

"No, we were actually talking about our feelings. And then our favourite boy bands." Dean was not holding back the attitude today. "Yeah, we were talking a case!"

I quickly stood and moved to the brothers, hoping to get the conversation on track before they started arguing… again. "So, what are we looking at? Spirit?

Dean eventually nodded as he dragged his gaze from Sam to me. "Yeah, the banker was talking about some sort of electrical problems at his pad for like a week. Phone was going haywire, computer was flipping on and off."

Sam still didn't look too fond about this idea. "Dean, we're already on a case."

"Whose?"

"Yours."

"Right. Yeah. Well, you coulda fooled me." Dean turned to leave again.

"What the hell else have we been doing lately other than trying to break your deal?" Sam called to him, causing Dean to stop and face us again.

"Chasing our tails, that's what. Sam, we've talked to every professor, witch, soothsayer and two-bit carny act in the lower 48. Nobody knows squat! And we can't find Bela, we can't find the Colt. So, until we actually find something, I'd like to do my job."

"Well there's one thing we haven't tried yet," Sam started.

But Dean wasn't having any of it. "Sam, no."

"We should summon Ruby," Sam insisted.

Dean shook his head at him. "I'm not gonna have this fight with you."

"She said she knows how to save you."

"Well, she can't."

"Oh really, you know that for sure?"

"I do." Dean really did seem sure.

Sam was sceptical. "How?"

"Because she told me, okay!"

Both Sam and I paused as we looked to Dean.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't believe Ruby. Part of me had known not to believe her, but then the other part of me had gripped on to a single sliver of possibility. If I had to make a deal with a demon, or owe her a favour, no matter what the strings attached might have been, I was willing to do it all to save Dean's life.

Strange, isn't it? After all these years, despising the fact my mum had made a deal to save me that ended in her death. Then Dean had made the deal and I'd been so mad with him. Yet here I was, and even though I'd probably never say the words out loud, I was willing to do what they'd done, in order to save Dean.

Sam was the first to break the short silence that had fallen over the three of us. "What?"

"She told me. Flat out. She can't save me, nobody can."

"And you just somehow neglected to mention this to us?" Sam gestured to me and then himself.

Dean gave a slight shrug. "Well, I really don't care what that bitch thinks and neither should you, so..." He turned to leave.

"So, what, now you're keeping secrets from me, Dean?"

"You really wanna talk about who's keeping secrets from who?" Dean still hadn't forgiven Sam for not telling us about Lilith.

I stood there, awkwardly trying not to look at the brothers as they stared at each other, angry, hurt, betrayed. All these feelings and so much more, just bubbling at the surface. But neither of them were willing to say how they felt, not really.

_Goddamn Winchesters._

Sam moved first, walking to pass Dean without saying another word.

Before he could get far, Dean called out to him, "Now where you going?"

"Guess I'm going to Ohio."

Like I said, things have been tense.

**DPOV**

"I found him there." Mrs Waters, the wife of the victim, directed us to the study in her large house.

"Why don't you tell us everything you saw, Mrs Waters."

She turned to me, exasperated. "You mean beside my dead husband?"

"Just everything else you saw. Please," Sam told her.

Mrs Waters sighed, looking around the room. "Blood. Everywhere. The phone was ripped from the wall, his favourite scotch on the desk, what else could you possibly want to know?"

"The phone was ripped from the wall?" Liz asked, hands in the pockets of her long coat. "Do you know why?

"I don't know." Mrs Waters shook her head.

"You mind if I take a look?" Sam gestured to the desk.

With a nod from Mrs Waters, he walked over as she continued to talk to Liz and myself. "I already went over this with the other detectives."

"We'll be out of your hair in no time, ma'am," I assured her.

Sam was by the phone, pressing a few buttons before looking over to Mrs Waters. "Ma'am, what time did your husband die?"

Mrs Waters sighed again, as if this were all a big inconvenience to her. "Sometime after eleven."

I looked over to Sam who gestured to the phone display, having found something on it. Turning back to Mrs Waters, I asked, "What about strange phone calls? Receive any of those lately, weird interference, static, anything like that?"

"No," she answered defensively. I simply raised an eyebrow to her. "No!" she insisted, more harshly this time.

"Mrs Waters, withholding information from the police is a capital offence," I warned.

Sam noisily cleared his throat. I looked over to see both him and Liz lightly shaking their head at me, silently explaining that that was wrong.

I rolled my eyes, speaking under my breath. "In some parts of the world I'm sure."

Mrs Waters sighed once more. "A couple of weeks ago, uh... there was this..."

"This what?" I pressed.

"I woke up one morning, I heard Ben in his study. I thought he was talking to a woman."

"What made you think that?" Sam asked.

"Because he kept calling her Linda," Mrs Waters answered, going on. "The thing is, I picked up the other line and nobody was there, Ben was talking to nobody."

Liz moved to stand next to me, looking to the widow. "There was nothing?"

Mrs Waters nodded. "Just static."

"Did you ever speak to your husband about this phone call?"

"No. I should have but...no."

"Did he ever say who Linda was?"

Mrs Waters was getting upset with all of Liz's questions. "What difference does it make, there was nobody on the other end!" she snapped, making it clear we weren't getting any more out of her.

**EPOV**

I sat on Dean's bed, leaning against the headboard while he sat at the foot, on his computer. Sam was at the table. We were all trying to find information on the case, which was leaving us all stewing in a silence that was not as comfortable as it usually was.

Being on the road with the guys, it meant we'd all built a bond, a connection. They may not care about me like they did each other- they were brothers after all- but we were all still very close. So, when things got tough and we were left in situations like this- meaning the awkwardness- it literally made me feel sick.

I loved the brothers. They were family. Seeing them at odds to even the slightest degree, it didn't sit right with me.

"Linda's a babe. Or, was."

Sam sat up straighter, turning to his brother. "Did you find her?"

"Yeah, Linda Bateman. She and Ben Waters were high school sweethearts."

Moving down the bed, I knelt behind Dean, looking over his shoulders to the screen. "You know what happened to her?"

"Drunk driver hit them head on. Ben walked away."

"So, what then? Dead flame calls to chat?" Sam asked, the case seeming closed.

But Dean simply shook his head. "You would think, but Linda was cremated. So, why's she still floating around?"

Sam sighed. "You got me."

Dean pulled away from the computer, leaning back into me absentmindedly as he looked over at his brother. "What about that, uh, caller ID?"

"Turns out, it's a phone number."

I frowned, having seen what was on the phone display. "I've never seen a phone number with letters, Sam."

"Yeah, 'cause it's about a century old, back from when phones had cranks," he explained.

"So why use that number to reach out and touch someone?" Dean had a good point.

Sam shrugged. "Got me there too, but we should put a trace on it."

Dean shook his head. "Well how the hell are we going to put a trace on something that's over a hundred years old?"

**DPOV**

Sam, Liz and I followed Clark, a suited man that works at the phone company, as he led us down some hallways.

"We don't get many folks from HQ down here," he noted, smiling politely at us.

"Yes, well the main office mentioned that there would be a lunch." I grinned lightly, until I saw Sam give me a disapproving look. I simply shrugged as Clark responded.

"Well I'm sure we can arrange something. The man you wanna be speaking to is right this-" He stopped once he noticed Sam shooing a fly away. "I know, sorry. We've got something of a hygiene issue down here if you ask me." Continuing to walk, he entered a room filled with computers, a man sitting in the middle of it all. "Stewie? What did I tell you about keeping this place clean?"

Stewie sat at a large console with multiple screens and keyboards. Empty and half eaten packets off food littered the place, explaining the flies and smell

Stewie jumped at the sound of Clark's voice before he started to desperately try to close down the many screens in front of him, which all showed various advertisements for porn sites. "Spam mail..." He clicked quickly. "Spam mail..."

"Stewie Myers. Mr Campbell. Mr Raimi. Miss Williams," Clark introduced.

Still facing the computers, Stewie continued to fail at getting rid of the porn. "I don't know how all this got here..."

Reaching forward, Clark flicked the back of Stewie's head, making the guy jump again. "From headquarters."

Spinning around in his chair, Stewie quickly crossed his legs and placed his hands together on his lap, trying to hide the obvious lump in his pants. Liz shifted next to me, looking everywhere but at the guy, clearly uncomfortable.

It was both amusing and annoying to me. Knowing how much she wanted to leave but couldn't. But at the same time, I didn't want her to have to see this.

"Give them whatever they need," Clark told Stewie before he began to leave.

I nodded to him as he left. "Thank you."

"So..." Stewie started, trying to play it cool. "Can I help you?"

I checked to make sure Clark was gone before I gestured to the computers, a grin on my face. "Is that, ah, ?"

"No," Stewie answered too quickly.

As if on cue, a woman on the screen started speaking. " _Oh, me so horny._ " A shot of the screen showed that it was in fact .

Turning back to the computer, Stewie tried to get rid of the image again. "Maybe."

"A word to the wise? Platinum membership? Worth every penny." I nodded knowingly.

Sam shook his head. "Right, anyway. We're here to trace a number?" He handed Stewie a piece of paper.

Stewie took one look at it, and was instantly confused. "Where did you get this?"

"Off caller ID," Liz answered, still trying not to look at him.

Stewie shook his head. "Oh no, that's impossible."

I nodded. "It hasn't been used in a few years, we know."

"A few years? It's prehistoric. Trust me, nobody is using this number anymore."

"Sure. Could you run it anyway?" Sam pressed.

"Sure. Why don't I just rearrange my whole life first," Stewie responded sarcastically.

Sam and I glanced at each other seconds before Liz turned to look Stewie right in the eyes, not amused at all.

"Look, Stewie. Just in this short meeting I've noticed a handful of employee code violations, and that has got nothing to do with the sickening porn that is no doubt infesting the system with various viruses. Oh, and I won't even get into the sexual harassment issues you created by being in such a compromising position. So, unless you want us to report all of this back to HQ, I suggest you run the damn number."

Stewie looked genuinely terrified of Liz as he quickly turned back to the computer and got to work.

Liz straightened up and softened as she smiled at Sam and me. We both nodded and smiled back at her, impressed. She was usually the one to take the softer approach, but having a reminder of how tough she could be, was always a nice change.

"Holy crap."

We all turned to Stewie, Sam speaking first. Sam "What?"

"I can't tell you where the number comes from, but I can tell you where it's been going." Pushing print, Stewie then got up and moved to the printer, grabbing whatever he'd just printed and handing it over to Liz. "Ten different numbers in the past few weeks, all got calls from the same number."

**SPOV**

I made my way up a footpath before coming to a stop in front of a door which I then knocked on. A moment later, a man middle-aged man answered the door, his young son standing beside him.

"Yeah?"

"Hello sir, I am with the phone company?" I lied.

"We didn't call the phone company."

"Oh no sir, we're calling you. We've had a lot of complaints from the neighbourhood lately."

"Complaints?"

"Yes sir. Dropped calls, static, maybe even strange voices on the other end of the line?" As I spoke, I noticed a teenage girl stepping into the hallway looking slightly startled.

The man shook his head. "No, we haven't had any of that here."

"Nothing?" I asked, my attention back on him.

"No."

"Okay. Great, just thought we'd check. Thanks. "

"No problem." He gave me a short nod before looking down at his son. "Come on, Simon."

As they turned to close the door, I watched the girls staring at me, scared. But before I could do or say anything, she turned and walked away just as the door closed.

Sighing, I turned and walked back down the footpath, heading for my rental car. Dean, Lizzie and I had split up to go through the list of homes that had been receiving calls from the number Linda had been using to call Mr Waters.

As I opened my car door, the girl appeared. "No way you work for the phone company."

I paused, shrugging at her. "Sure I do."

"Since when does a phone guy drive a rental or wear a cheap suit?"

I huffed a laughed. "Yeah, well. Maybe we're both keeping secrets."

"Why did you ask my Dad if he's hearing strange voices on the phone?"

"Why, did you hear something?"

"No."

"My mistake, I thought maybe you did."

"Well I didn't, okay?"

"Okay. Sorry to bother you." I smiled. But when she didn't move and continued to look uncomfortable, I sighed, looking down at my keys in my hands as they rested on the roof of the car. "Because you know...if you did...then I would have told you that I've been right where you're standing right now. Hearing things, even seeing things that can't be explained. Maybe I would have been able to help out a little bit. Anyway..." I went to get in the car.

"Hey wait. Maybe...maybe I've been talking on the phone...with my mum."

"Well that's not so strange."

"She's dead. Like three years now."

_Well, that's definitely not, not so strange._ "How often does she call you?"

"A few times. It started a week ago. I thought I was like, crazy or something."

"Well I can tell you one thing for sure, and you're going to have to go with me on this, okay? You're not crazy."

**DPOV**

" _Yeah_ ," Sam answered the phone as I called him.

I was walking down the street, Liz next to me- both of us finished with our lists. "Dude, stiffs have been calling people all over town," I told him.

" _Yeah, tell me about it._ "

"I just talked to an eighty-four-year-old grandmother who's having phone sex with her husband, who died in Korea!"

" _Eww_."

"It redefined my understanding of the word 'Necrophilia'."

A woman walked past, overhearing me. She gasped and gave me a disgusted look before hurrying off. Liz grinned, watching as I grimaced and turned to look at the young woman.

" _So what the hell's going on here, Dean?_ "

Shaking my head, I sighed as I reached Baby. "Beats me, but we'd better find out soon. This place is turning into spook central."

" _Yeah. All right, I'll call you later._ "

"Yeah." I hung up, opening my door as Liz slid into the passenger seat. Before I could join her, my phone began to ring. "Yeah, what?" I was met with nothing but static. "Sam?"

" _Dean?_ "

Everything in me froze.

" _Dean, is that you?_ "

"Dad?"

**SPOV**

"Dad? You really think it was dad?" I looked up at Dean, confused and slightly amazed.

I sat on the couch, watching Dean. He'd come back moments after me. Liz wasn't with him, I guess she knew the news Dean had for me was something the two of us had to talk about alone. Plus, whenever we mentioned our dad, or mum, she got kind of quiet...

Dean shrugged, pacing the room. "I don't know, maybe."

"Well what did he sound like?"

"Like Oprah." Dean turned to me. "Like dad, he sounded like dad, what do you think?"

"What did he say?"

"My name."

"That's it?" I wasn't too sure now.

"Call dropped out."

"Why would he even call in the first place, Dean?"

Once again, Dean shrugged, continuing to pace the room. "I don't know, man. Why are ghosts calling anybody in this town? But I mean, other people are hearing from their loved ones, why can't we? It's at least a possibility, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess?"

"Okay, so what if..." Taking a breath, Dean moved to sit on the bed. "What if it really is dad? What happens if he calls back?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I say?"

"Hello," I suggested.

Dean didn't look too impressed. "Hello?" he asked, earning a simple shrug from me. "That's what you come back with. Hello?"

"Uh..."

Before I could go on, Dean grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "Hello." Shaking his head, he walked out.

**EPOV**

I sat with Sam doing some research. After I heard Dean leave, I snuck over to make sure the youngest Winchester was okay. Which he was, but I was still concerned about the two of them.

I personally had never actually met John- well, I was pretty sure I hadn't. But I understood how the brother's felt about their father. He'd been someone they both looked up to and someone they both didn't exactly like all the time. He'd been hell bent on avenging their mother, which led to him taking away their childhood. But at the same time, it gave all of them a sense of family and purpose. He was a strong, independent, stubborn man, just like his sons.

No matter how hard, bad or complicated their lives might have been because of this one man, I knew one thing for sure. Sam and Dean loved John.

The door to the room opened as Dean walked in, looking to Sam and me as we sat on the couch, my head on his shoulder, looking at the screen he was focused on.

"You two look comfy." Dean's tone was drowning in jealousy.

I sighed, pulling away to stand up. "We were researching."

"Find anything?" Dean asked, as if he knew the answer.

"After three hours, we have found no reason why anything supernatural would be going on here," Sam sighed.

Dean came to stand next to me, shrugging at Sam with attitude. "Well, you know, you think a Stanford education and a high school hook up rate of zero point zero would produce better results than that."

Sam gave him an unamused smile. "Hilarious."

Grinning, Dean reached into his jacket. "Sammy, you're just looking in the wrong places, pal."

"And what are the right places, Dean?"

"Motel pamphlet rack." He dropped a pamphlet onto the coffee table in front of Sam. "Milan, Ohio. Birthplace of Thomas Edison."

Flicking through the papers, Sam gave a shrug. "Yeah, right. So what?"

"Keep reading."

Sam scoffed slightly but kept looking with a sigh. As he did, Dean moved closer to me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he pulled me to him so my back was pressed against his chest. I wasn't too sure what Dean was doing with the obvious displays of affection, but I sure as hell wasn't complaining.

Watching Sam, I noticed when his eyebrows went up in surprise, right before he looked up at his brother. "You're kidding."

"What?" I reached forward, snatching the pamphlet which I then read. "No way."

...

A young female guide was leading a group of people- including the brothers and myself- through a museum in town.

"And we're walking." She came to stop by an exhibit. "And, here we have one of the museum's most unique and treasured possessions. Thomas Edison's 'spirit phone'. Did you know that Mr Edison, as well as being one of America's most beloved inventors, was also a devout 'occultist'? Ooh!"

Dean leaned closer to me, whispering in my ear. "What's with the quote-y fingers?" he asked, causing me to grin.

The guide went on. "He spent years working on this, his final invention, which he was convinced could be used to 'communicate' with the 'dead'. Pretty spooky, huh?" She checked her watch, before twirling her fingers in the air and began to lead the group into the next room. "And we're walking. We are walking. We're walking. And we're not touching that. And we're walking. And stop."

We didn't follow the others as we instead moved closer to the 'spirit phone'. Sam pulled out his EMF, holding it close to the phone.

"Anything?" Dean asked, the two of us keeping an eye out.

Sam shook his head, pulling back. "Nothing."

I sighed. "What are we thinking then?"

"Honestly?" Sam shrugged, looking down at the phone. "It kinda looks like an old pile of junk to me."

"It's not even plugged in," Dean noted.

"Maybe it didn't work like that," Sam suggested.

"Okay." Dean thought about it a moment longer, examining the phone. "Maybe it's like a radio tower, broadcasting the dead all over town."

Sam shrugged. "Could be."

"You know, this caller ID is a hundred years old, right? Right around the time this thing was built."

"Yeah, but why would it all of a sudden start working now?" it seemed not matter what Dean said, Seam wasn't buying it.

"I don't know. But as long as the mouldy are calling the freshers around here it's the best reason we've got."

"Yeah, maybe."

"So maybe it really is dad."

But as I'd been standing there, thinking through the case, trying to figure out how the phone could be linked to it all, I was beginning to wonder if that really was the case. Was John calling Dean from beyond the grave, or was something else dialling the numbers?

**Bamby**


	27. Don't Answer the Phone

**DPOV**

I couldn't sleep. I'd tried. I'd gone over to Liz's room and had spent some time with her- basically, we had sex- which I thought would have helped me get some sleep. But when I'd gotten back to my room where Sam was fast asleep, I'd stuck myself at the table and began to wait.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, my phone began to ring, the display showing _'SHA33'_.

Snatching the phone off the table, I headed into the bathroom to answer it. "Dad?" I whispered.

" _Dean._ "

"Is it really you?"

" _It's me._ "

"How can I be sure?"

" _You can't. Dean, how could you do it?_ "

"What?"

" _Sell your soul._ "

"I was looking after Sam, like you told me to," I defended.

" _I never wanted this. Never. You're my boy, I love you. I can't watch you to go to hell, Dean._ "

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to stop it."

" _'Cause if you break the deal Sam dies, right?_ "

"What?"

" _Well I know a way out. For both of you._ "

"How?"

" _The demon who holds your contract. He's here. Now._ "

**SPOV**

I walked into the hotel room to see Dean furiously typing on the laptop. He briefly looked up at me. "What's up?"

"That girl Lanie, her mum's ghost spooked her out pretty bad last night," I explained. "Just went over to Lizzie's room and asked if she'd come with me to go make sure everything's okay."

"Yeah, okay." He nodded.

"What are you doing?"

"I think dad's right. I think the demon is here. Check it out." He stood and waked past me, handing me some papers as he passed, moving to his bag.

I looked down at the papers. "What is this, weather reports?"

"Omens. Demonic omens. Electrical storms everywhere we've been for the past two weeks."

"Ahh... I don't remember any lightning storms."

"Well, I don't remember you studying meteorology as a kid either. But I'm telling you, that bastard's been tailing me... wearing some poor dude's meat."

"And it's following you because...?"

"I guess I'm big game, you know. My ass is too sweet to let outta sight."

"Okay. Sure."

He moved to me again, snatching the papers out of my hands. "Don't get too excited, Sammy. Might pull something."

"Dean, look, I wanna believe this man, I really do-"

"Then believe it! if we get this sucker, it's Miller Time."

"Yeah, that's another thing. Dad rattles off an exorcism that can kill a demon? I mean not just send it back to hell, but kill it?"

"I've checked it out. This is heavy duty Dark Ages. Fifteenth century."

"Yeah, I've checked on it too Dean. And so did Bobby. Lizzie, too."

"Okay, and?"

"Look. It definitely is an exorcism, okay, there's just no evidence it can kill a demon."

"No evidence it can't."

"Come on man-"

"Hey, as far as I'm aware the only one of us who has actually been to hell is dad. And maybe he picked up a couple of tricks down there, like which exorcisms work."

"Maybe it does. I hope it does too, but we gotta be sure."

"Why aren't we sure?"

"'Cause I don't know what's going on around here Dean! I mean, some guy blows his brains out, a little girl is scared out of her wits."

"Wow, a couple of civvies are freaked out by some ghosts. News flash Sam, people are supposed to be freaked out by ghosts!"

We fell silent for a moment there, staring at each other, equally frustrated. I let out a sigh as he dropped his head in frustration.

"Dad tell you where to find the demon?"

"I'm waiting on the call!" he snapped, pulling out his phone from his jacket pocket.

Sighing again I turned for the door. "I told Lanie I'd stop by."

As he spoke, he didn't hold back the sarcasm. "Oh, good yeah. No, you and Liz go hang out with jail bait. Just, uh, watch out for Chris Hansen. Meanwhile I'll be here getting ready to, you know, save my life." When I just kept moving to the door, he snapped, "You're unbelievable, you know that? I mean for months we've been trying to break this demon deal. Now dad's about to give us the freaking address and you can't accept it? The man is dead and you're still butting heads with the guy!"

"That is not what this is about."

"So what is it!"

My patience was gone, I couldn't stop myself as I began to yell back at him. "The fact is we've got no hard proof here, Dean. After everything, you're still just going on blind faith!"

"Yeah, well maybe! You know, maybe that's all I got, okay?" After a second, he looked away from me.

I shook my head at him. "Please. Just please don't go anywhere until I get back. Okay, Dean? Please." Not sure if he would listen or not, I headed for the door, leaving him.

**EPOV**

"Lanie, this is Lizzie. Lizzie, Lanie," Sam introduced me to the teen girl as we walked into her bedroom.

I gave her a short wave. "Hey."

"Hi." She nodded back.

"Have you told your father about any of this?" Sam asked, getting to business.

I began looked around the room, listening to the two of them talk. There was no need for me to say anything. I was simply here just in case Sam didn't know how to react to a teenage girl. Well, at least that's what Sam said.

Honestly, I agreed to come because I wasn't sure we were dealing with ghosts. Not in this case. I just needed proof.

"And bother him at work? No. He wouldn't believe me anyway, he'd just chuck me into therapy," she noted.

"So, what did your mother say?"

"She wanted to see me. So at first I thought I was supposed to go to the cemetery."

"Did you?"

Lanie nodded. "Nothing happened. But then she started asking me to do other things."

"What sort of things?"

"Bad things."

**DPOV**

I was sitting at the table in the hotel room, staring at nothing as I waited for the phone to ring. The moment it did, I grabbed it off the table and answered it as fast as I could.

"Dad?"

" _Yeah._ "

"Where's the demon?"

**EPOV**

"Lanie please. Tell us what happened, it's very important," Sam insisted.

Lanie began to cry as she answered, "Mum told me to go to dad's medicine cabinet."

"And?" he pressed.

"She wanted me to take his sleeping pills. Take _all_ of his sleeping pills."

I frowned as I listened to Sam go on, as confused as I was. "She wanted you to kill yourself?"

Lanie nodded, crying. "Why would my mum want me to do that?"

"I don't know."

"I mean, just so I could come to her?"

I froze, turning to Lanie. "What did you just say?"

She looked to me, trying to calm her crying. "She wanted me to come to her."

Shaking my head, I stepped closer to her. "No, _how_ did she say it?"

"'Come to me.' Like a million times."

My blood ran cold as everything set into place. "Lanie. That's not your mother."

...

Leading Sam and Lanie to the front door, I looked over my shoulder at the teen as I spoke to her. "Don't answer the phone. Don't use the computer. Don't do anything unless Sam or I say to, all right?" But when she didn't respond, I turned to her completely, seeing her looking into one of the rooms. "Lanie."

She looked out of the room and too me, eyes wide with worry. "Where's Simon?"

**DPOV**

I entered the house quietly, duffle bag thrown over my shoulder. Closing the door behind me before I set down the hallway. Some floorboards creaked in the house on the second floor.

"Hello?" I called out.

When there was no response and I was sure I was alone, I continued through the house, needing to get set up before the demon actually got here.

In the living room, I grabbed a large bottle of water and dropped a rosary into it. Then I sprayed a devil's trap on the floor, covering it with the mat.

**EPOV**

Sam and I moved as fast as we could. Simon- Lanie's little brother- was cross the road. A large truck was headed straight for him, the driver seeming unaware of the little boy.

Time was running short, and I knew I had to do something before it was too late.

Lifting my hand, I came to a stop and focused on the truck, looking through the window at where the driver was looking away from the road. Setting my eyes on the steering wheel, I gave it a quick jerk with my mind.

At the same time, Sam grabbed Simon and pulled him to safety. The truck missed them by mere inches.

Hurrying over to the two of them as they sat on the ground panting, I made sure they were okay. "Is everyone all right? Did anyone get hurt?"

"We're fine." Sam shook his head, looking up at me. "Thank you." He didn't say what for, but I knew why he thanked me. If I hadn't of moved that truck...

**SPOV**

Lizzie was driving, rushing to get to the hotel as I called Dean. The moment he picked up the phone, I spoke before he had a chance.

"Dean, it's not dad."

" _Then what is it?_ "

"A crocotta."

" _Is that a sandwich?_ "

"Some kind of scavenger. Mimics loved ones, whispers 'Come to me', then lures you into the dark and swallows your soul."

If it hadn't of been for Lizzie, I might not have realised it right away. But the moment she'd heard Lanie explain what her 'mum' had said, Lizzie knew.

" _A crocotta, right. Damn that makes sense._ "

I sighed. "Dean, look, I'm sorry man, I know-"

He cut me off. " _Hey, don't these things live in filth?_ "

I looked to Lizzie who could hear both sides of the conversation. She gave a short nod to answer Dean's question.

"Yeah," I told him.

" _Sam, the flies at the phone company._ "

**EPOV**

It was dark by the time Sam and I got to the carpark of the phone company. We crept along an alley, coming to stop by a window which we peeked through. Inside we could see Stewie at his computer.

A loud noise distracted us.

We looked around to make sure we were still alone before turning back to the window. Only, Stewie was no longer at the computer. Instead, he was leaving the room.

"Come on." I nudge Sam before hurrying out of the alley way.

Hiding behind one of the vehicles in the parking lot, I pulled out my phone to try and get in contact with Dean while Sam looked out for Stewie.

" _This is Herman Munster. Leave a message._ "

I sighed into the phone. "Dean, we're in the parking lot. He's here. Hurry."

The moment I hung up, Sam turned to me. "We can't wait. We gotta do this now."

Nodding, I pulled out my knife before the two of us rushed around the vehicle and rushed over to Stewie as he unlocked his car.

I pushed him against his car- despite the fact he was gross and I didn't want to touch him. Pressing my knife into the side of his neck, I put enough pressure there to keep him still.

"What the hell!"

"We know what you are," Sam told him. "And we know how to kill you."

"Please. Okay, wait, wait. If we're overcharging you for the call waiting or something I... I can fix that. I am your friend!"

Sam and I shared a confused look...

"Please. Please just don't kill me!" Stewie begged. "Don't kill me, please!"

Before either of us could say or do anything else I felt something heavy and hard hit me in the side of the head. Blackness followed closely as I passed out.

**SPOV**

I woke up tied to a chair in the phone company's back room where we first met Stewie. Speaking of which, he was tied to a chair in front of me, whimpering as Clark circled him. To my left was Lizzie. She was still a little out of it, in the space between waking up and still being unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Clark. I'm sorry for whatever I did to you," Stewie cried. "I'm sorry... please-"

When I noticed the knife in Clark's hand, I couldn't stay quiet. "Wait! Don't do it."

Clark turned to me. "You're awake." He leaned over Stewie from behind, placing the tip of the knife against his thigh.

Stewie's eyes stayed glued on the blade poking his thigh. "You're not a killer Clark, no! There's a good man inside of you, I know it."

Clark grinned knowingly at me. "What do you think, Sammy, am I a good man?"

"Just let him go," I pleaded.

"I would. I really would. If only I'd had more than a salad for lunch. You see, I'm starving." Clark lifted the knife high above his head before he plunged it into Stewie's chest, killing him.

"No!"

Moving in front of Stewie's body, Clark adjusted the chair so I could watch as his mouth opened wider than humanly possible. It was ringed with razor sharp teeth and blood red gums. Crouching in front of Stewie slightly he held the body by the shoulders as he began to suck away Stewie's energy.

I shuddered, looking away.

Once he was done, Clark stood again, wiping at his mouth.

"My last call with Dean. That was you." I turned to glare at him. "You led us here."

He shrugged. "Some calls I make, some calls I take, but you have to admit, I had you fooled for a while. All that Edison phone crap. " Laughing, he moved over to the telephone exchange cabinet. He placed his hands against the glass and leaned back in ecstasy.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm killing your brother. Or maybe I'm killing another guy. We'll just have to see how it goes."

...

I watched as Clark pulled the knife out of Stewie's chest.

"You know, mimicking Dean's one thing. But my dad. That's a hell of a trick."

"Well once I made you three as hunters, it was easy. I found Dean's number, then Elizabeth's number, then your number, then your father's numbers. Then emails, voicemails, everything. You see, people think that stuff just gets erased, but it doesn't. You'd be surprised how much of yourself is just floating out there, waiting to be plucked."

"Dean's not going to fall for this. He's not going to kill that guy."

"Then the guy kills him."

**DPOV**

Waiting in the living room of the suburban house, I watched as headlights shined across the window. Silently, I moved closer to the hallway, listening as the car door slammed shut. I removed the lid of the holy water bottle, getting ready to attack.

A noise at the back of the house had me look in that direction, frowning. Moving down the hallway, towards the back door, I paused as I watched and waited...

The back door flew open as a man- who I assumed was the demon- stepped into the house, raising a rifle. I had a single second to think and act, leaping out of the way just as he pulled the trigger.

Having dropped the bottle of holy water while trying to save myself, I looked over to see if it was still of use. But it wasn't. The water was spilling out on to the floor. _Son of a bitch_.

The sound of a shell hitting the floor was my signal.

Dashing out from around the corner, I ran for the demon, slamming him into the wall of the kitchen. Pulling my fist back, I punched him a few times, getting in as many hits as I could before the demon got back onto his feet. Pulling away a little, I kneed him before letting him drop to the ground.

Moving for the rifle, I was just about to get it when I was grabbed by the demon and thrown on to the table. His fist came down on me several times before I even had the chance to look for an opening.

Once I saw it, I took it. Leaning forward to headbutt him as hard as I could.

As he fell backwards, to the ground, I kicked him in the stomach a few times. Pausing, I looked down at him, catching my breath, before I kicked him again, more viciously than the others, grunting as I did so.

**SPOV**

"Technology. Makes life so much easier." Clark reached out to brush my hair out of my face with the tip of the bloody knife. "Used to be I'd hide in the woods for days, weeks, whispering to people, trying to draw them out into the night. But they had community, they all looked out for each other, I'd be lucky to eat one or two souls a year. Now when I'm hungry, I simply make a phone call." He sneered. "You're all so connected. But you've never been so alone."

Opening his mouth, he raised the knife above me, ready for the kill.

Suddenly his wrist snapped in an awkward way, causing the knife to drop to the ground as he yelled out in pain and turned.

Lizzie stood behind him, a cocky grin on her face. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?"

**DPOV**

The demon and I fell through a glass door leading into the living room. Moving quickly while he was still kinda out of is, I reached for his belt and pulled out the handgun there, flicking the cartridge out and tossing it aside.

The demon struggled to its feet, covered in glass. Leaning down, I pulled the rug back, showing it the devil's trap spray onto the floor, right below his feet.

Turning away, I pulled the exorcism out of my pocket, ready to get this over and done with.

"What is this?"

"Your funeral," I answered as I began to read the exorcism.

" _Crux sacra sit mihi lux, Non draco sit mihi dux_

_Vade retro satana, Numquam suade mihi vana_

_Sunt mala quae libas, Ipse venena bibas_ "

The demon glared at me as he slowly moved forward... and out of the circle. "You do this to my daughter too?"

I froze, staring at the devil's trap. "How the hell did you get out?"

"Did you do this to my daughter too?!"

This wasn't a demon... this was just a man.

"Wait, this is a mistake."

"You killed her!"

"No, wait."

But instead of listening, the man leapt towards me.

**EPOV**

Clark and I were struggling against each other. Despite the fact I'd broken his wrist, he was still very strong. One wrong move from me and he'd win. I could tell he was already close to it, his hot breath on my neck, his sharp teeth too close for comfort.

Pulling my leg back, I kicked at him, pushing him off me. The moment I was free, I flipped myself up and got into a position so I was ready for his next move.

He jumped at me just as I thought he would. We traded blows, moving around the room. I felt every hit and kick he gave out, slowing me down. But there was a reason why I wasn't lashing out with everything I had.

I needed to find my opening. Sure enough, I found one.

As we struggle against each other I spotted a wall where there were hooks to hang jackets or hats or whatever. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that I now had a way to finish this asshole off.

Throwing his arms off me and pulling back, I lifted my arm and forced him away with my mind, sending him flying back until he collided with the wall. The hook went straight through the back of his neck, killing him in an instant.

**DPOV**

The man fell on top of me as I was pushed to the ground. "She was nine years old!"

"Stop!" I tried blocking all his hits. "I didn't! You gotta believe me!"

But he just kept hitting me. Over and over, blinded by rage.

Eventually I managed to twist around and grab the rifle, using it to smack the guy in the forehead. He fell back, giving me a chance to get to me feet so I could stand over him.

Giving in, he cried, looking up at me as if this was the end. "Why did you kill her?"

"I'm sorry." Breathing heavily, I shook my head at him. "I didn't kill your daughter."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I don't know."

**EPOV**

Everything hurt all over. I was already bruising in places where Clark had hit me. Not to mention the fact I'd used my telekinesis when I wasn't exactly up for it yet- hence why I'd had yet another nose bleed, which had now finished.

Sam walked me into his hotel room, setting me down on Dean's bed as he moved to the bathroom, only to come to a stop at the doorway.

"I see they improved your face," Dean spoke from inside the bathroom.

Sam chuckled lightly. "Right back at ya." Moving to the side, he let Dean walk into the bedroom.

One look at me and Dean came over, carrying his wash cloth. As he took a seat on the bed next to me, he pressed the cloth to my face, cleaning the blood off. "So, crocotta, huh?"

I nodded lightly, leaning against him as I closed my eyes. "Yeah."

"That would explain the flies," he noted.

"Yeah it would." Sam paused, sighing after a moment. "Hey, um... look I'm sorry it wasn't dad."

Dean huffed, brushing my hair back with his free hand as he continued to press the wash cloth to my forehead. "Nah, I gave you a hell of a time on this one. You were right."

"Forget about it."

The way the brothers began to talk, it was as if they thought I was asleep, or just not listening. Either way, they kept talking like I wasn't there. Though, if Dean didn't stop stroking my hair, I really was going to fall asleep.

"I can't." Dean sighed. "I wanted to believe so badly that there was a way outta this. I mean I'm staring down the barrel at this thing. You know, Hell. For real, forever, and I just..."

"Yeah."

"I'm scared, Sam." I could hear the strain in Dean's voice. "I'm really scared."

"I know." Sam was just as close to tearing up as his brother.

"I guess I was willing to believe anything. You know, the last act of a desperate man."

"There's nothing wrong with having hope, Dean."

"Hope doesn't get you jack squat. I can't expect dad to show up with some miracle at the last minute. I can't expect anybody to, you know. I mean the only person that can get me out of this thing is me."

"And me," Sam assured him.

Dean turned to look at him, not sounding too impressed. "And me?"

Sam "What?"

"Deep revelation, having a real moment here, that's what you come back with? 'And me'?"

"Uh... do you want a poem?" Sam asked, getting a giggle from me.

"The moment's gone." Dean sighed, tugging my shoulder so I'd lie down. Once we were both comfortable he flicked on the TV. "Unbelievable," he mumbled under his breath at the three of us watched TV in silence.

The smile on my face only faltered once. But I fought to keep it in place, allowing myself this one moment of happiness, despite all the pain and misery I was sure was headed our way.

**Bamby**


	28. Chasing Immortality

**EPOV**

I was willing to do whatever it took to save Dean. So was Sam. The fact the three of us were standing in an abandoned cabin, looking at a demon we'd caught, tied up and locked in a devil's trap so we could torture him... honestly it meant nothing to me. As long as Dean was saved, I didn't care.

Dean threw some holy water on to the demon who then screamed and thrashed around, the pain waking him from his unconsciousness.

"You ready to talk?" Dean snarled.

"I don't know. I don't know anything!"

Dean grinned, looking over to Sam and I. "Oh, you hear that? He doesn't know anything."

Sam smirked, nodding. "Yeah, I heard."

"I'm telling you the truth," the demon insisted.

"Oh, you are? My God, then I owe you an apology. Allow me to make it up to you." Stepping forward, Dean forced more holy water down the demon's throat. "I'm gonna ask you one last time... who holds my contract?!"

The demon fell silent for a moment, his head hanging. As he slowly began to look up at us, he revealed his black eyes and wide smile. "Your mother. Yeah, she, uh, showed it to me right before I bent her over."

Dean leaned closer to him, holding back his anger. "I want a name. Or else-"

"Or what? You're gonna squirt your holy water in both ends? Please. Brother, that's like a flea bite compared to what's coming to me if I tell you jack. Do what you want. The only thing I'm scared of is the demon holding your ticket."

Pulling back, Dean gave me a simple nod. Turning my attention to the demon, I began to recite an exorcism.

" _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus..._ "

"How does that feel?" Dean circled the demon. "Does that feel good?"

" _Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio..._ "

Groaning, the demon forced words out through gritted teeth. "Go ahead. Send me back to hell. 'Cause when you get there, I'll be waiting for you... with a few pals who are dying for a nice little meet and greet with Dean Winchester."

I paused, my eyes wide as I looked to Dean. We were close, family, friends... lovers. He meant a lot to me. The idea of anything bad happening to him… I couldn't bare it.

Moving closer to me, Dean pressed a kiss to my temple. "Send him some place he can't hurt anyone else."

Nodding, I took a shaky breath as I continued with the exorcism.

" _Infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te..._ "

**DPOV**

I walked up to Liz as she stood on the porch of the abandoned cabin we were squatting in. She was waiting for me, her arms folded over her chest, hands tucked under her arms as she hugged her dark red leather jacket to herself.

Before I could even stop walking, she spoke up, "I'm scared we're gonna lose you."

I had already been aware of that. As each day went by she changed. She was still the strong and capable woman we knew her to be, but at the same time she was becoming more fearful. As if her worry for me was taking control of the rest of her.

Sighing, I stepped up to her, unfolding her arms before sliding my hands down to her waist. "You're not gonna-"

She cut me off, rolling her eyes and pulling away. "Don't bullshit me, Dean. Unless you're a psychic, and you just forgot to mention it, don't try to predict the future."

"Aren't you doing the same?" I countered.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm preparing myself for the worst. Part of me hopes for the best, but I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. I'd much rather be happily surprised than heartbroken."

Grinning, I stepped closer to her again, my hands grabbing her waist once more as I pulled her to my chest. "Heartbroken?" I pressed a kiss to her neck as my hands moved around to the small of her back.

"Don't play dumb with me, Winchester." She fought against a smile. "We may not be a couple, but you're certainly the closest thing to a boyfriend I've had." Pulling away, she looked up at me with scared and sad eyes "I don't want to lose you… but it feels like I'm going to."

Time was running short. Three weeks was not much, and the closer to my end we got, the worse we were all feeling.

Just being here with Liz, or spending time with my brother, I knew how precious it all was. I knew how much I'd need it if things were to go south- literally. So, for a moment longer, I was going to let us stand there, in the embrace, enjoying it just a little while longer.

**EPOV**

Walking back into the cabin beside Dean, we just caught the end of Sam's phone call.

"You ran the prints twice? Are you sure? Okay. Yeah, just chalk it up to lab error. Don't I know it. Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I'll tell the lieutenant." He hung up and turned to us without pausing. "Bury the body?"

Dean gave a sharp nod. "Yeah. Looks like these demons ride 'em hard just for kicks." He walked us over to the table, grabbing and opening a beer before handing it over to me and then grabbing his own. "What was the phone call about?" he asked as we moved to sit on the couch.

"Remember that thing in the paper yesterday?"

Dean took a drink of his beer before answering. " _'Stripper suffocates dude with thighs_ '?" he answered, causing me to elbow him in the ribs. "Hey." He turned to me. "What was that for?"

"Pretty sure Sam was talking about the other thing," I told him, a smile on my face as I moved to snuggle into his side. "The guy that walked into the ER and died before anyone could help him. His liver was ripped out or something, right?"

Sam nodded. "I just found out something pretty damn interesting."

"What?" Dean asked, turning to his brother as his free arm moved to drape over my shoulders.

"The dead body was covered in bloody fingerprints, not the victim's."

"Okay, great." Dean shrugged, seeming uninterested. "My man Dave Caruso will be stoked to hear it."

"Those fingerprints match a guy who died in 1981."

I sat up, interested. "Really?"

"So, what are we talking? Uh, walking dead?" Dean grinned. "Walking, killing dead?"

Sam shrugged. "Maybe."

"Zombies do like the other, other white meat. Huh." Dean took another drink of his beer. "Speaking of, what do you care about zombies?"

Sam frowned, giving a short shake of his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been on soul-saving detail for months now. And we're three weeks out, and all of a sudden, you're interested in some hot zombie action?" Dean did have a good point.

Sam shook his head, scoffing. "Hey, man, you're the one who's been all gung ho to hunt. I just thought I'd be doing you a favour." He turned to leave.

"Hey, no, no, no, no, no." Dean got to his feet following his brother. "I didn't say I didn't want to do it, okay. I mean obviously I want to hunt some zombies."

I sighed, a grin on my lips. "Looks like we've got a case."

**DPOV**

The three of us stood in the coroner's lab as he explained the case to us. "Yeah, the rest of the body was intact. The liver was the only organ missing."

"Now, where the liver was ripped out, did you happen to notice any... ah... teeth marks?" I asked.

The corner frowned at each of us as if he thought we were insane. "Can I see your badges?"

"Of course, sure." Sam nodded as we all pulled out our badges to show him.

After taking a moment to look at all our badges, the corner sighed. "Fine. So, you're cops _and_ morons."

"Excuse me? No, no. We're very smart." I insisted.

"The liver was not ripped out," the corner explained as he led us to the body. "It was removed. Surgically." He showed us the stitches. "By someone who knew their way around a scalpel. Didn't you read my report?"

"Of course we did," I lied. "Oh, it was riveting. It was a real page-turner, just delightful."

Raising his eyes brow at me, the corner sighed. "You done?"

"I think so." I gave a sharp nod.

"Please go away."

"Okay." I turned to leave, only to stop as Liz spoke up.

"I just want to apologise on behave of my partner. He's new, and we were told to give him the lead on the case." She smiled charmingly at the corner. "We can't exactly leave without any solid information that might help... so, if you wouldn't mind, could I have a copy of the report. I'd rather get it straight from the brains behind the operation."

My jaw dropped as the corner's face softened. He was eating everything she said, swimming in the look she was giving him as if he hadn't had any female attention for months. But it was when he turned and grabbed a copy of the report without so much as I noise, that's what shocked me the most.

Reaching forward to take the file, Liz's smile grew. "Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it."

...

As we walked down the hall, I noticed Sam grinning to himself.

"What?" I snapped, annoyed. Liz was too charming… I didn't like it.

He shook his head at me. "Nothing." _Bullshit._ "So, that kind of punches a hole in our zombie theory, huh, that scalpel thing?"

"Yeah, zombie with skills, 'Dr Quinn, medicine zombie'." I chuckled.

"Maybe we're on the wrong track, Dean, looking for hacked-up corpses," Sam suggested.

I frowned slightly, confused. "What should we be looking for?"

"Survivors," Liz answered for him.

Sam nodded, agreeing with her. "This isn't zombie lunch. This is organ theft."

**SPOV**

"I told the cops all of this yesterday. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

The three of us were standing by the bed of a patient who'd had his kidney stolen. Unlike the other victim, this guy had survived.

"It's just a couple of questions, sir," I assured him.

"Hey, man. I just got my kidney stolen. I'm tired."

"We'll be out of here quick." Dean tried to be gentle as he attempted to persuade the guy. "Don't you want to get the guy?"

The patient turned to him. "Will it get me back my kidney?"

"Look." Lizzie sighed, stepping closer to the man. "I understand that this has been a traumatic experience, and honestly I don't blame you for not wanting to bring up the memories. But there have been more victims. Some people aren't surviving like you did. So if you could give as some information, _anything_ , then maybe we can stop this person."

She was good. I could see the guy actually thinking about it before he gave a sigh and a short nod, letting us know he was willing to cooperate.

I pulled out my pen to write some noted down in my pad I was holding. "So what's the last thing you remember?"

"Feeding my meter. I got jumped from behind... and then I wake up strapped to a table. And then the worst pain you could possibly imagine, only worse. And then I black out again. Thank God. And then I wake up screaming in some no-tell motel in a bathtub full of ice."

"Do you remember anything about the surgery? You know, what the guy looked like, any details about the room?" Dean pressed for more.

"Let me think about that." The patient paused for a moment. "Yeah... one thing is coming back to me. You know what I remember? Getting my kidney cut out of my body!" he snapped, clearly done with the questioning.

**DPOV**

I moved to join Liz and Sam at the table as they did some research. Placing my paper bag in front of me, I reached into it and pulled out my burger, smiling eagerly at it.

"So, I got a theory," Sam started.

"Yeah?" I asked, taking a large bite out of my burger.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I talked to Mr Giggle's doctor. Turns out his incisions were sewn up with silk."

I frowned slightly. "That's weird," I noted as Liz reached over and took a bite out of my burger. "Hey!" I pulled it away from her.

She grinned, moving her chair next to me, batting her eyes. "It just looks so good."

"Anyway." Sam tried not to look at us as he failed to hide his smile. "Silk used to be the suture of choice back in the early 19th century. It was really problematic. Patients would get massive infections. The death rate was insane." He turned his computer around so I could take a look.

I flicked through the tabs on his screen. "Good times."

"Right, so doctors, they had to do whatever they could to keep infections from spreading. One way was maggots."

Pausing my chewing, I gestured to my burger. "Dude, I'm eating."

But Sam just kept going, "It actually kind of worked because maggots, they eat bad tissue, and they leave good tissue. And get this. When they found our guy, his body cavity was stuffed full of maggots."

"Dude, I'm eating!" I repeated. "Alright, let me get this straight. So, people are getting ganked, right?"

Sam gave a short nod. "Yeah."

"A little 'antiques roadshow' surgery, some organ theft. But why is this all sounding familiar?"

"Because you heard it before." Sam actually looked excited. "When you were a kid... from dad. Doc Benton... real-life doctor, lived in New Hampshire, brilliant and obsessed with alchemy, especially how to live forever. So, in 1816, Doc abandons his practice and-"

I cut him off, knowing the rest of the story, "Right, yeah, nobody hears from him for like twenty years, and all of sudden, people start showing up dead."

"Dead or missing an organ or their hand or some other kind of part."

"Cause whatever he was doing was actually working. He just kept on ticking. Parts would wear out, he'd replace them. But I thought dad hunted him down and took his heart out."

"Yeah, I guess the Doc must have plugged in a new one."

Liz reached for dad's journal that sat on the table. "So, if this guy is still kicking, where do we find him?"

"According to dad's journal, Benton's picky about where he sets up his lab. He likes dense forest with access to a river or stream or some kind of freshwater," Sam answered.

I took another bite of my burger before asking, "Why?"

"Because that's where he likes to dump the bile and intestines and faecal matter." He smirked at my disgusted face as I gagged. "Lost your appetite yet?"

Looking down at my burger, I considered it for a moment. My eyes moved from the burger, to Sam and then back, before I shook my head. "Oh baby, I can't stay mad at you." I took a large bite out of it.

**EPOV**

I had to admit, this was a pretty exciting case. A man turned Frankenstein like monster. Not only was it fascinating, but it was a nice change from our usual activities. Chasing down Bela. Trying to find a way to get Dean out of his contract. Catching and torturing demons for information.

This was actually a little fun.

Standing by the bed with Sam and Dean, we looked down at the map laid out on the blankets in front of us.

Sam pointed to some areas on the map which we'd circled red. "So these are all the cabins. Most of them have been abandoned for years."

"So, what the hell are we waiting for?" Dean asked, seconds before his phone began to ring. Moving to the table, he answered, putting it on speaker. "Bobby."

" _Hey. Think I finally got a lead on Bela._ "

"I'm listening."

" _Rufus Turner._ "

Ah, yes, Rufus Turner. Never met the guy, but heard enough stories. Not all were bad, not all were good. Honestly, he was a good hunter and that's all I cared about.

"Who's that?" Dean asked. "Like a Cleveland steamer?"

" _He's a hunter, or he used to be._ "

"And now?"

" _Hermit mostly. Does a little selling on the side. Anyway. I put the word out on Bela months ago. He just called. Said a woman got in touch, wanted to buy some things._ "

"And he thinks it's Bela?"

" _British accent, went by the name Mina Chandler._ "

Dean paused, turning to Sam and me. "She's used that before. Well, it's kinda of a sloppy move, isn't it? Getting in contact with one of your old friends."

" _Friend?_ " Bobby scoffed. " _Haven't laid eyes on him in fifteen years. He's not the Christmas card type. I doubt she knows I know him. Canaan, Vermont._ "

"Thanks, Bobby. We're on our way."

" _One other thing. Take a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue._ "

"Okay." Hanging up, Dean nodded to Sam and me. "Come on."

"What?" Sam frowned. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second."

Dean didn't stop as he moved to grab his jacket and bag. "Come on. Get your stuff. The clock's ticking."

But Sam still didn't do as he was told. "Look, I think we should stay here and finish the case."

"You insane?"

"Dean, there's no way she still has the Colt! That was months ago! She probably sold it the second she got it." Sam had a good point.

"Well, then I'll kill her." Dean shrugged. "Win-win."

Sam sighed. "Dean..."

"Sam. We're going!"

But Sam wasn't having a bar of it. "No."

Dean turned to him, getting more and more worked up by the minute. "Why the hell not?"

"Dean, this… this here. Now. This is what's gonna save you."

Dean shook his head. "What? Chasing some Frankenstein?"

I was about to explain that we had a responsibility to keep going with the case and to stop the guy who was killing and chopping up people to take their organs. But Sam spoke up first, and what he had to say shocked me.

"Chasing immortality," Sam explained, earning startled looks from Dean and I. "Look, Benton can't die. We find out how he did it, we can do it to you."

Dean wasn't angry anymore, just confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You have to die before you go to hell, right? So, if you can never die, then-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Dean cut Sam off, stepping closer to his brother. The tension in his body had me stepping back. "Wait a second. Did you know that this was Doc Benton from the jump?"

"No." When Dean kept looking at Sam, not believing him, Sam sighed, "Look, I was hoping."

"So, the whole zombie thing, it was lying to me?"

"I didn't wanna say anything until I was sure, Dean. All I'm trying to do is find an answer here."

"No. What you're trying to do is chase Slicy McHackey here. And to kill him? No. You wanna buy him a freaking beer. You wanna study him."

"I was just trying to help."

"You're not helping! You forget that if I welch on this deal, you die. Guess what, living forever is welching."

Sam shrugged. "Fine! Then, whatever the magic pill is, I'll take it too!"

Dean shook his head, walking back to his bag. "Oh, what is this? Sid and Nancy? No. It's just like Bobby's been saying. We kill the demon who owns the contract and this whole damn thing wipes clean. That's our best shot."

"Even if you had the Colt, Dean, who are you gonna shoot? We have no idea who holds the ticket."

"Well, I'll shoot the hellhounds then before they slash me up. Now, you coming or not?" He looked to both Sam and me.

I was the one to speak, my voice quiet. "We're staying."

Dean looked to me, shocked once more. "You too?" He shook his head. "No, you're not. 'Cause I'm not gonna let you wander out in the woods alone to track some organ stealing freak."

Sam stood his ground. "You're not gonna _let_ us?"

"No, I'm not gonna let you."

"How are you gonna stop us?" Sam asked, startling Dean again. "Look, man, we're trying to do the same thing here."

"I know. But I'm going. So, if you wanna stay," Dean actually looked hurt, avoiding my gaze, "stay." He pulled his bag over his shoulder and started for the door, only to stop when he was next to me. Cupping my face, he turned me so I'd look at him, pressing his lips to mine in a deep kiss. As he pulled away, he sighed and looked over my head at his brother. "Sammy, be careful."

I could hear that Sam had turned to face Dean as he responded, his voice soft. "You too."

There was a moment's pause as Dean looked from Sam to me before he let my cheek go and walked to the door and out of the room, leaving us.

**DPOV**

_It wasn't goodbye. It wasn't goodbye. It wasn't goodbye. It wasn't goodbye._ I had to keep repeating those three words in my head to reminded myself that I would see Liz and Sam again. Just because they were going after an immortal serial killer, and I was going after the slimy bitch that had stolen the Colt, did not mean any of us were going to die. _It wasn't goodbye._

Climbing the porch steps, I came to a stop at a door where a sign hung. It read, _'No solicitors, that means you! No asking for donations. No selling ANYTHING!_ '. Shaking my head, I lifted my hand and rang the buzzer before knocking on the door.

A noise caught my attention. Looking up, I spotted a camera moving to face me.

" _What?_ " a voice called through the intercom.

"Hi, uh, Rufus?"

" _Yeah, even if I am, the question is still the same. What?_ "

"Uh, I'm Dean Winchester. I'm a friend of Bobby Singer's."

" _So?_ "

"You called him this morning."

" _So?_ "

"Uh..." I tried grinning at the camera, but this guy was wearing down my patience. "You told Bobby about a British chick who made contact with you."

" _And so?_ "

"You know where she is?"

" _Yeah._ "

"Great. Could you tell me where I could find her?"

" _No._ "

"Course not," I mumbled to myself before speaking into the telecom again. "Look, Rufus, man-"

The door opened as Rufus- an African American man around Bobby's age- stepped out. "Look, let me point something out to you. You are knocking at my door, so don't 'Look, man' me. I'm not your man."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"All right, let me tell you a little story. See, once upon a time, Bobby called me, asked me to call him if I got a whiff of this Bela Talbot. I got a whiff. I called. The end."

"Okay, yeah, if you could just tell me where she is, I mean, that would be great."

"Dean Winchester, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Dean, do I look like I'm here to help you?"

"I'm gonna say no."

"Then get the hell of my property."

"All right, yeah, fair enough. I got one more question for you, though." I reached into my bag that sat on my shoulder. "See, I got this, uh, this bottle of scotch, and... uh, is this considered good?" I asked, pulling out a Johnnie Walker Blue Label out.

Rufus eyed the bottle and then me, before smiling.

**Bamby**


	29. An Eye for an Eye

**DPOV**

Sitting in Rufus' office, the bottle now three quarters empty, I looked down at the glass in my hand, admiring the dark liquid. It really was good stuff.

"Bottoms up." I lifted my glass just as he did, clicking them together.

After we both took a drink, Rufus lowered his glass and looked to me. "You know, I don't even bother drinking unless it's this stuff. Nectar of the Gods, I'm telling you."

"Yeah, it's a nice change, you know." I grinned. "Most of my whiskey comes from a plastic jug." We both laughed. "So, Bela was here because...?"

"She wanted to buy a couple of things, which is gonna take me some time to round up."

"Where is she now?"

He watched me closely. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." I shrugged. _Anything to get the answers I needed_.

"You got three weeks left. Why are you wasting your time chasing after that skinny, stuck-up English girl?"

The fact he knew about my situation, had me suspicious. "How do you know about that?"

Leaning forward, he gave a cocky smirk. "Because I know things. I know a lot of things about a lot of people."

"Is that so?"

"I know ain't no peashooter gonna save you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Cause that's the job, kid. Even if you manage to scrape out of this one, there's just gonna be something else down the road. Folks like us... there ain't no happy ending. We all got it coming."

"Well, ain't you a bucket of sunshine?"

"I'm what you've got to look forward to if you survive." Smirking once more, he raised his glass again. "But you won't."

Not liking where the conversation had turned, I steered it back on track. "So, Bela..."

He didn't even hesitate before giving me what I wanted. "Hotel Canaan. Room 39. But watch your back."

"I think I can handle Bela."

"Oh, don't be so sure about that. There are things that you don't know about her."

"Oh, and you do? Right. Because you know things."

"Yep.

"And let me guess... you lift her fingerprint?"

"Yep."

"And that got you jack."

"Yep. She burnt them off. Probably years ago."

"Yeah, so you're right where we are."

"Nope." I waited a moment before he went on. "You do her ear?"

"Sorry?" _Surely, I hadn't heard that right..._

"You do her ear?"

_Apparently, I did hear him right..._ "Hey, man, I'll try anything once, but I don't know. That sounds uncomfortable."

"Ears are as unique to humans as fingerprints."

"No kidding." _I'm calling bull. Though Liz and Sam would probably know if he was full of shit._

"Of course, that don't fly in the courts over here, but in England, they're all over it. A friend of a friend... of a friend faxed me ten pages of confidential files within a day. All I had to send him was one clean shot off the security camera."

"Right. One clean shot of her ear." I nodded, downing the rest of my drink. This guy was nuts. I was wasting my time. He gave me Bela's address, I should just leave.

Reaching over to a nearby desk, Rufus grabbed a folder and handed it over to me. "The so-called Bela Talbot."

**SPOV**

Torch in hand, both Lizzie and I entered the dark and abandoned cabin. We began looking around for anything that might let us know we were in the right place. Looking at the books on the shelves- where I found and pocketed a journal- and searching every space where there could be something that might help us.

Starting down some stairs, we headed into the cellar.

The body of a man was lying on an operating table just a few feet in front of us. A sheet had been thrown over him, but Lizzie and I both knew what would be underneath the cover. Looking around a little more, we spotted another body through some ragged curtains. Inching closer, we weren't sure what we would find on the other side...

It was a woman, strapped down to another operating table. Her arm was stretched out beside her and covered in maggots where she was missing a large amount of skin.

As I reached forward to check her pulse, she gasped and her eyes shot open the moment I touched her.

"Shh! Shh! Shh!" I lifted my finger to my mouth, gesturing for her to be quiet. "It's okay. We're here to help you. We're here to help you. We're gonna help you."

"Here." Lizzie moved to grab a cloth and handed it to me.

Still shushing the woman, I grabbed her wounded arm and wrapped the blanket around it as gently and carefully as possible. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay-"

The sound of a door opening upstairs had us all freeze.

Unable to help herself, the woman started crying. I reached over to cover her mouth, needing her to be quiet. But it was too late, the footsteps were already headed our way.

Lizzie grabbed my arm and gestured to a window.

We knew we couldn't break it without drawing more attention to our whereabouts... but, turns out, we had a way to get around that.

As I lifted the woman into my arms, Lizzie stepped up to the window and carefully used her mind to pry the glass open, with minimal noise. She climbed up and out before reaching for the woman. The two of us worked on getting her out safely. Once she was set on the grass outside, I climbed out as fast as I could, before I grabbed the woman and dashed off, knowing Lizzie was right by my side.

**EPOV**

Carrying the woman bridal style, Sam was just a step behind me as we ran for the car.

I pulled out the keys and unlocked the car seconds before we reached it. Opening the back door for them, I then got in the front and started the engine as Sam and the woman slide into the back.

"Lizzie, lets-" Sam was cut off as the glass of my window was smashed.

A hand reached in, grabbing and pulling on my hair as Benton tried to pry me out of the vehicle. As I struggled against him, he shoved me forward, hitting my head on the steering wheel with a surprising force.

"Lizzie!"

As Benton continued his assault, I managed to grab the gear stick and slam my foot on the accelerator, jolting the car into reverse suddenly.

The woman was screaming as Benton changed his grip so he was holding the car before the force made him spin around until he was on the hood. But he didn't stay there for long, his hold faultering, sending him to the dirt road.

With the headlights shinning on the monster, I got a good look at him. He glared at me for a single moment before I put the car into gear and floored it, driving straight over Benton. I didn't even look back as I got us the hell out of there.

**DPOV**

The moment Bela walked into her room and closed the door, I was on her, turning her around and shoving her against the wall. Laying an arm over her chest and aiming my gun at her face, I got straight to it.

"Where's the Colt?"

"Dean." She was as calm as ever.

"No extra words."

"It's long gone, across the world by now."

"You're lying." I grabbed her bag from her hand and began to look through it.

"I'll call the buyer. Speak Farsi?"

Finding nothing in her bag, I dropped it and grabbed her instead. My arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her against me.

"What the hell are you-"

As I quickly frisked her, I found a gun which I then held out in front of her. "Don't flatter yourself." Using the point of my gun, I reached over to flick on the room's lights before aiming it at her again. "Don't move." With that warning, I began to search the room.

"I told you I don't have it," she insisted.

"Oh, yeah, I'm definitely gonna take your word for it." Turning my back on her, I started for some other drawers.

The room had fallen too silent. Turning around, I spotted her reaching for the door.

Raising my gun, I pulled the trigger, missing her- on purpose- by mere inches. "Don't move," I warned again before I continued searching.

"It's gone. Get on a plane if you must. Track down the buyer. You might catch up to him eventually."

Having searched the whole place, I moved back to her, pointing my gun at her head, wanting nothing more than to pull the trigger again. Only this time, I wouldn't miss.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Oh, yeah." My smirk was one of anger and frustration.

"You're not the cold-blooded type."

"You mean like you? That's true. See, I couldn't imagine killing my parents."

She was shocked, but tried to play it cool. "I don't know what you're talking-"

I cut her off, "Yes, you do. You were, what, fourteen? Folks died in some shady car accident. Police suspected a slashed brake line, but it was all too crispy to tell. Cut to little Bela... oh, I'm sorry… _Abby_ , inheriting millions."

"How did you even-"

"Doesn't matter."

"They were lovely people. And I killed them. And I got rich. I can't be bothered to give a damn. Just like I don't care what happens to you."

Her words pushed me over the line. I pushed her against the door roughly, pressing my arm against her throat. "You make me sick."

"Likewise."

Taking a step back, I aimed the gun at her again, smirking as I got ready to shoot. She stared back for a moment before closing her eyes. That's when I spotted something I hadn't before. Looking up at the top frame of the door, I noticed some herbs hanging over the ledge. But not just any herbs. Devil's shoestring.

As she opened her eyes again, I lowered my gun, shaking my head at her. "You're not worth it." Grabbing her shoulder, I dragged her away from the door before leaving.

**SPOV**

I sat at the desk in our hotel room, picking up my phone as it rang. "Dean."

" _Yeah_."

"Did you get the Colt?"

" _What do you think_?" He was clearly pissed.

Which was why I wasn't going to tell him that not only had Lizzie used her abilities tonight, but also had a cut on her head from the amount of times Benton hit her head against the steering wheel. It had been hurting when we got back, so she'd taken some pain killers and crashed on Dean's bed, and hadn't moved since.

I sighed, "So, does that mean Bela is-"

" _No, no, she deserves to die a dozen times over, but I couldn't do it_."

"Dean..."

" _I'm really screwed, Sammy_."

"No, you're just-"

" _But you were right. Bela was a goose chase. The Colt's gone, and this time I'm really screwed, Sam_."

"Maybe not. Look, Dean, we found Benton's cabin."

" _You two okay? Was he there_?"

"Yeah."

" _Did you kill him?_ "

"No."

" _What do you mean, 'no'_?"

"Dean, please just listen for a second. I found his lab book, and it has the formula."

" _What, the live-forever formula?_ "

"Yeah."

" _Great, let me guess. I got to drink blood out of a baby's skull?_ "

"No, that's the thing." I flicked through said book as I explained it to him. "It's not black magic. There's no blood sacrifice or anything. It's just science, Dean. Very, very extremely weird science, but-"

He cut me off again, _"Wait, wait, wait. What are...what are you saying? You think..._ "

"Dean, I think it might be doable. I mean, I know we've hit a lot of walls, but I... I think this formula, I think it might be it. This could save you."

" _Okay, so, this formula..._ "

"Well, I mean, look, look, we're not in the clear yet. There are still things that I don't get-"

An arm reached around from behind me, shoving a cloth over my mouth. I dropped the phone and struggled as best as I could, but the hold was strong, and before I knew it I was out cold.

...

I was tied to a chair in Benton's basement, facing an operating table where Lizzie was bound, her eyes taped open.

Benton stepped up to her, speaking in a calm voice. "You can relax. It's all gonna be okay. Ain't nothing gonna happen here that you got to worry about. Your chances of coming out of this procedure alive? Very, very high." He nodded as she whimpered.

I struggled against my binds. "Don't touch her."

"Don't worry, Sammy. She should be fine," Benton insisted.

"How do you know my name?" I asked, struggling against my tight binds.

"Oh... I know. You think I'm some kind of monster, don't you? Well, I got to tell you, I have _never_ done one thing that I did not have to do. This whole eternal-life thing is very high-maintenance. If something goes bad, like my eyes here, you got to replace them. And sometimes things get damaged, like when your father cut out my heart. Now, that... that was very inconvenient."

He moved over to one of the benches, grabbing dad's journal. "So, I'm sure that you can understand all the joy I felt when I read all about myself here in his journal." Shutting the journal, he then grabbed some kind of tool that looked like a melon baller... "Kind of makes this whole thing just feel like some kind of family reunion, don't it? Well, I guess it's about time that we get this thing started."

I had to watch as he moved, reaching down to scoop Lizzie's eye out.

Three shots rang out, stopping Benton as he looked down at the three wounds in his chest before turning to see Dean standing behind the tattered curtain.

"Shoot all you want." He started for Dean.

Dean let more bullets loose as he backed away from the doctor as much as he could. That was until Benton reached him, and threw him across the room. Walking over to my brother, Benton then leaned down over him, so confident in his actions. Even when Dean stabbed him in the chest with a knife.

Benton laughed. "A knife? What part of immortality do you not understand?" He stood, pulling the knife out. "Pity about the heart, though. It was a brand-new one."

"Good. It should be pumping nice and strong." Dean held up a bottle of chloroform. "Sending this stuff throughout your whole body. See, I picked up your little bottle upstairs and dipped the knife in it."

Benton only had a few more seconds of consciousness before he collapsed on the ground, knocked out cold.

**EPOV**

I stood next to Dean as he held his arm around me, the two of us and Sam looking down at Benton where we'd tied him on the table I'd been tied to.

"Oh, hiya, Doc. Wakey, wakey, eggs and bac-y."

At the sound of Dean's voice, Benton began to wake. "Please."

Dean shook his head. "Please what? You've been killing poor bastards for over a hundred and fifty years and now you got a request? Shut up."

"No, you don't understand. I can help you," Benton insisted. "I know what you need."

Dean ignored the doctor, looking over at Sam on the other side of the table. "We might have to cut him up into little bits. You know, this immortality thing is a bitch."

"I can read the formula for you," Benton offered. "You know, immortality. Forever young, never die."

Sam stepped forward. "Dean…"

Dean sighed, looking up at his brother again. "Sam."

The look on both of their faces told me what each of them were thinking. Sam wanted to save Dean. But Dean wanted to save everyone else.

Seeing as the only way to decide what we were going to do was to talk, I grabbed Dean's hand and nodded for the brothers to follow me. We walked to the other side of the curtain and then came to a stop, speaking in hushed tones.

"What?" Dean looked to Sam expectantly.

"I mean, we're talking hell in three weeks. Or needing a new pancreas in like half a century."

"Yeah, well, you can't exactly get those at a Kwik-E-Mart," Dean noted.

But Sam was determined to do this. "It's not perfect, but it buys us more time to think of something better. We just need time, Dean. I mean, please, just... just think about it."

I shook my head. "No."

Sam turned to me, surprised. "I thought-"

"So did I," I admitted, knowing where he was going. "I was getting so desperate, and so willing to do whatever it takes, that I'd actually been thinking about making my own deal so the two of you could stay together. But it's not our choice Sam. If Dean wants to live, it has to be his choice."

"He does want to live."

"Not like this." Dean gestured to Benton. "What he is isn't living. Look, this is simple-"

"Simple?" Sam clearly didn't agree.

"To me it is, okay." Dean went on, "Black or white. Human, not human." He grabbed my hand and walked us back to the room with Benton. "See, what the Doc is... he's a freakin' monster. I can't do it. I would rather go to hell." He let go of my hand and grabbed the bottle of chloroform.

"You don't understand. I can help you!" Benton insisted.

Dean ignored him again, pressing the chloroform rag over the doctor's mouth as he looked up at his brother. "Now, we're gonna take care of him." He gestured to me and himself. "You can either help us or not. It's up to you."

...

Standing over the open grave, I watched as Benton tried to push the door of the fridge open. The fridge he was in, which we'd chained closed and put in the grave, along with his journal.

"No! No! Don't! Stop it! I can help you! No!"

"Enjoy forever in there, Doc." Dean nodded as he grabbed one of the shovels off the ground and began to shovel dirt into the hole.

Sam and I grabbed a shovel each as well, helping him as Benton continued to yell and scream.

"Let me out! I can save you! No. Don't."

**DPOV**

Driving along the road, phone to my ear, I waited until the person on the other end answered. The moment they did, I spoke.

"Hiya, Bela. Here's a fun fact you may not know. I felt your hand in my pocket, when you swiped that motel receipt."

" _You don't understand._ "

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I understand perfectly. See, I noticed something interesting in your hotel room. Something tucked above the door. An herb. Devil's shoestring? There's only one use for that. Holding hellhounds at bay. So, you know what I did, I went back and I took another look at your folks' obit. Turns out they died ten years ago today. You didn't kill them. A demon did your dirty work. You made a deal, didn't you, Bela. And it's come due. Is that why you stole the Colt, huh? Try to wiggle out of your deal, our gun for your soul?"

" _Yes._ "

"But stealing the Colt wasn't quite enough, I'm guessing."

" _They changed the deal. They wanted me to kill Sam._ "

"Really! Wow, demons untrustworthy. Shocker. That's, uh, kind of a tight deadline too. What time is it?" I asked just as Sam showed me the time on his phone from where he sat next to me. "Well, look at that, almost midnight."

" _Dean, listen, I need help,_ " Bela cried.

"Sweetheart, we are weeks past help."

" _I know I don't deserve it._ "

"You know what, you're right, you don't. But you know what the bitch of the bunch is? If you would have just come to us sooner and asked for help we probably could have taken the Colt and saved you."

" _I know, and saved yourself. I know about your deal, Dean._ "

"And who told you that?"

" _The Demon that holds it. She holds mine too. She said she holds every deal._ "

"She?"

" _Her name's Lilith._ "

I paused, looking over at Sam for a moment. "Lilith?" That got both his and Liz's attention. "Why should I believe you?"

" _You shouldn't but it's the truth._ "

"This can't help you, Bela, not now. Why you telling me this?"

" _Because just maybe you can kill the bitch._ "

Tensing my jaw, I sighed. "I'll see you in hell." With that, I hung up seconds before the clocked struck twelve.

**Bamby**


	30. The Hellhounds are Coming

**DPOV**

_I was running. My heart pounding in my chest and my feet pounding on the dirt ground. Trees and bushes surrounded me as I rushed through the woods, trying to stay ahead. They were close. Too close. I could hear their growls, practically smell their meaty breaths._

_The Hellhounds._

_Everything hurt. Breathing in air felt like I was breathing in fire as it scrapped along my lungs. My legs ached with each step. I'd been running for so long now..._

...

"Dean." Liz's calm voice woke me from my sleep.

I sat up from where my head had been resting on the desk in front of me. Looking over, I saw her leaning down next to me, watching me carefully.

Breathing heavily, I looked down at the book on my desk, the one I'd been reading before I fell asleep. It was open on a picture of a hellhound...

"Hey." Liz reached over to brush my hair back a little, her movements gentle and delicate. "Bad dream?"

"You could say that." I sighed, wrapping my hand around her wrist before tugging her down so she'd sit on my lap. "Would sleep better if you joined me." I grinned, at her- forcing it slightly.

Shaking her head at me, she smiled back. "You're unbelievable, Winchester."

"Dig up anything good?" Sam asked as he walked into the room, trying not to smile at Liz and I.

I shook my head at him. "No. Nothing good."

"Well, Bobby has. Finally."

Liz jumped off my lap. "Really?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded, a grin lifting the corner of his lip. "A way to find Lilith."

"Wow. With just, uh," I looked down at my watch, "thirty hours to go." Smirking, I gave a short shrug. "Hey, why don't we just make a TJ-run, yeah? You know... some senoritas, cervezas, uh, we could... what's Spanish for 'donkey show'?"

Sam chuckled lightly. "So if we do save you... let's never do that."

"Agreed." Liz gave me a playful glare.

"Hey, Dean." Sighing, Sam's smile fell as he stepped closer to the desk, looking down at me. "Look, we're cutting it close, I know. But we're gonna get this done. I don't care what it takes, Dean. You're not gonna go to hell. I'm not gonna let you. Lizzie isn't gonna let you. I swear. Everything's gonna be okay."

While listening to him, I'd paid attention but hadn't really taken anything to heart. I knew we didn't have a lot of control over my circumstances now. I'd been turning to look up at him and say exactly that, but stopped the moment my eyes landed on him.

Sam's face turned darker as if it were decaying. It was distorted, flinging to the sides rapidly in an inhumane way. I looked to Liz, seeing her face doing the same thing. It was utterly terrifying.

But it stopped just as suddenly as it had started.

Nodding slowly at them, I cautiously watched and waited for something else to happen. "Yeah, okay."

**EPOV**

I stood on Dean's left as Sam stood on his right. We were watching Bobby as he placed a large old tracing device over a map of the United States. Three wooden legs held the stand of the device up, as a crystal ball sat in a frame up the top, with a sharp tipped, hanging pendulum pointing at the map.

"So you need a name, that's the whole kit and caboodle. With the right name, right ritual, ain't nothing you can't suss out," Bobby explained.

"Like the town Lilith's in?" Sam asked.

Bobby looked up at him. "Kid, when I get done, we'll know the street." Reaching forward, he started to swing the pendulum as he started to chant Latin.

The three of us watched him with anticipation, waiting for the point to stop. After a moment, it did.

"New Harmony, Indiana," Bobby read. "And we have a winner."

"Alright." Sam pushed the pendulum away. "Let's go."

I was about to head for the door when Dean grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Let's all shut up there, Tex."

Sam frowned at his brother, confused. "What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?" Dean repeated as if it should be obvious. "Come on, where do I begin? I mean, first of all, we don't even know if Lilith holds my deal. We're going off of Bela's intel? Now when that bitch breathes, the air comes out crooked. Okay. Second, even if we could get to Lilith, we have no way to gank her. And third, isn't this the same Lilith that wants your giant head on a pike? Should I continue?"

Bobby scoffed, unamused. "Ain't you just bringing down the room."

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's a gift."

He had a lot of good points, but if I was being honest, I didn't care anymore. I just wanted Dean safe. This was it. This was the end. He had just over a day before he was going down south, and I was not talking about Australia. No. He was headed straight for hell.

Sam shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around what Dean was saying. "I'm sorry, so then what are we supposed to do, Dean?"

"Just 'cause I gotta die doesn't mean you have to, okay. Either we go in smart or we don't go in at all."

"Okay, fine. If that's the case I have the answer."

I lifted my hands in the air. "I am up for anything. What you got?"

"A sure-fire way to confirm it's Lilith and a way to get us a bona fide demon-killing ginsu."

"Damn it, Sam, no," Dean snapped.

"We're so past arguing. Dean, I am summoning Ruby. "

"The hell you are! We have enough problems as it is."

"Exactly. And we've got no time and no choice either."

"Come on man, she is the Miss Universe of lying skanks, okay. She told you that she could save me, huh. Lie. She seems to know everything about Lilith but forgot to mention, oh right. Lilith owns my soul!"

"Okay, fine. She's a liar. She's still got that knife."

"For all we know, she works for Lilith."

"Then give me another option, Dean. I mean, tell me what else."

"Sam's right." Bobby weighed in.

But Dean wasn't having any of it. "No! Damn it!" He took a breath, seeing the shocked looks on our faces because of his outburst. Once a little calmer, he tried again. "Just no. We are not gonna make the same mistakes all over again. You guys wanna save me, find something else," he stated before walking out of the room.

"I've got him," I said before hurrying off after Dean.

He walked out the front door and onto the porch, coming to a stop with a sigh, running his hand over his face.

Stepping up behind him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek against his back. "There is no way I could possibly understand the stress and worry you're feeling right now. But you have to understand why Sam wants to summon Ruby."

Grabbing my hands, Dean pulled my arms away from him before pulling me so I stood in front of him. "I get it. But if we make one wrong move, he's dead too. Maybe even you."

I shrugged. "I'd rather risk my life to save yours, than just let you die. You're too important to me."

Our eyes locked then. I couldn't say the words, but he understood what I meant, what I was hinting at.

Time with Dean had built a bond with him that surpassed simple friendship. I could tell myself a million times over that we were just friends that occasionally slept together. But I couldn't fool myself anymore. My feelings for Dean had grown into something I thought I'd never feel for anyone. Feelings I'd never had for anyone before.

Which is exactly why I was willing to do whatever needed, in order to keep him alive.

**SPOV**

Kneeling on the ground in the basement, I drew and triangle on the floor, with symbols in every point of it. Candles sat on the outside of the triangle, lit. While a bowl of a dry, green substance sat in the middle of it all.

Taking a deep breath, I began to chant, knowing this was going to piss Dean off once he found out.

" _Ad construgendum ad ligandum eos pariter Et solvendum._ "

A sound coming from behind had me pause. But as I looked over a waited a moment, nothing happened. So, with a sigh, I got back to it.

" _Et ad congregantum eos coram me._ "

Taking a box of matches, I pulled one out and lit it up, watching the flames for a beat before throwing it into the bowl. The contents inside ignited, the fire flaring up for a moment or two, before calming down and burning out.

Pulling myself off the floor, I looked around a waited.

"You know, phones work too." Turning around, I found Ruby leaning against a doorway, smiling at me. "Hey, Sam. How's tricks?"

I didn't return the smile, keeping my mouth in a set and angry line. "How do you get around so fast?"

"I got the Super Bowl jet pack." She shrugged and began to walk towards me. "So. You called?"

"Did you know?"

"Um... gonna need a tiny bit more."

"About Dean's deal. That Lilith holds the contract."

She didn't miss a beat as she answered. "Yes, I did."

"And... what? You didn't think that was important?"

"You weren't ready."

"For what?"

"If I told you, you two yahoos would have just charged after her half-cocked and Lilith would have peeled the meat from your pretty, pretty faces."

"Well, we're ready now," I told her. "I want your knife."

She watched me as she started walking slow circles around where I stood. "You're right about one thing. You are ready. And now's the time, too. Lilith's guard's down."

"Is that so?"

"She's on shore-leave. A little R&R."

"The hell's that mean?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know. You didn't lose those hex bags I gave you?"

"We've got 'em."

"Good. Then she won't sense that you're coming."

"So, you'll give us the knife?" I asked, trying to watch her wat me as she continued to circle me.

"No."

"But you just said-"

"You wanna charge in with one little pig-sticker? It's a waste of a true-blue window. Like getting Hitler with that exploding briefcase. Forget it."

"Okay, then how?" I wanted her to answer, now. My patience was running thin.

She stopped in front of me. "I know how to save your brother, Sam."

"No, you don't! You told Dean you couldn't! You've been lying to me all along, so just give me your damn knife!"

"You're not the one I've been lying to."

"Oh, so you can save him?"

"No. But you can."

That left me speechless for a second. Confused. "What?"

"Sam, you've got some God-given talent. Well, not 'God'-given but you get the gist."

"All that psychic crap? That's gone ever since Yellow-Eyes died."

She shook her head at me. "Not gone… dormant. Little Lizzie's proof of that. And it's not just visions either. Why do you think Lilith is so scared of you?"

"Right," I scoffed. "She's scared of me."

"If you wanted, you could wipe her off the map without moving a muscle."

"I don't believe you."

"It's the truth."

"And you decided to tell me this just now?"

"Um... demon. Manipulative's kinda in the job description. Fact is, is that you would have never considered it. Not until you were-"

"Desperate enough?" I finished for her.

We exchanged looks before she shrugged. "You don't like being different. You hate the way Dean looks at you sometimes. Like you're some kind of sideshow freak. But suck it up because we've got a lot of ground to cover, and we've gotta do it fast. But we can do it."

She wasn't right or wrong. Yeah, I hated the way I felt sometimes. But it was a little better now. Knowing Lizzie was like me. I wasn't alone in all of this. She had my back and I had hers. We understood each other.

But at the same time, she had better control and more power. She was getting better and better, while I stayed the same. That, I didn't feel too great about.

"Look. Call me a bitch, hate me all you want, but I have never lied to you, Sam. Not ever. And I'm telling you. You can save your brother, and I can show you how."

"So that's you, huh?" At the sound of Dean's voice I looked over Ruby's shoulder, seeing him standing behind her clearly not happy as he went on. "Our slutty little Yoda."

"Dean," she sighed and turned to him, her voice harder as she spoke to him. "Charming as ever."

"Aw, I knew you'd show up," Dean stated, moving towards us. "Because I knew _Sam_ wouldn't listen." Out of guilt, I looked away, listening to him still. "But you're not gonna teach him anything, you understand me? Over my dead body."

She scoffed. "Oh. Well, you're right about that."

"What you are gonna do is give me that knife. And then you can just go crawl back into whatever slop you came from and never bother me or my brother again. Are we clear?"

"Your brother is carrying a bomb inside of him and we'd be stupid not to use it."

"Dean, look, just hold on for one-"

He cut me off, pissed. "Sam! Don't. Come on man, what, are you blind? Can't you see that this is a trick?"

"That's not true," Ruby insisted.

But he just ignored her, looking at me. "She wants you to give into this whole demonic psychic whatever, okay. I mean hell, she probably wants you to become her little anti-Christ Super Star."

Ruby was getting worked up too, now. "I want Lilith dead. That's all."

"Why?" Dean asked her.

"I've told you why!"

"Oh, right, yeah. Because you were human once and you liked kittens and long walks on the beach."

"You know, I am so sick of proving myself to you. You wanna save yourself, this is how. You dumb, spineless dick."

Shaking his head, Dean turned to leave, only to stop and swing a right hook back, hitting Ruby right in the face.

I backed away at the look in both of their eyes, knowing there was nothing I could do. Dean made the first move. It was now on.

Having taken a few steps back because of the hit, Ruby pulled herself back up and wiped away the blood from her lip. After a beat or two, she pulled back and then punched him back, once with her right fist and then her left.

"Ruby, hey!" I reached out to try and stop her.

She spun around and kicked out at me, causing me to double over. That's when she kneed me in the face, and sent me flying across the space and into a beam.

I slid to the ground, which is where I stayed as I watched her stalk over to Dean.

Dean was readying, hitting her in the face with his left fist and then making a move with his right. But she dodged him quickly, and then kneed him in the stomach. Over and over a few times, she kept kneeing him until she let him drop all together.

He tried to get up, but she just kicked out at him, sending him rolling on the floor, further away from me. He kept trying to get to his feet, but again, she was right there. Grabbing him this time, she pulled him up so they were face to face, only so she could headbutt him.

Falling back again, Dean landed on the floor, looking up as Ruby stood a few feet away from him. Yet still, he simply grinned at her.

"The hell are you grinning at?" she snarled.

"Missing something?" He pulled her knife out from his jacket.

"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch." She rushed forward, but was throw back by an invisible wall.

The three of us looked up at the ceiling, seeing a Devil's trap painted there in red.

Dean continued to grin at Ruby her angry grew with each second. "Like I said," he lowered the knife, but continued to hold it, "I knew you'd come." Turning away, he started for the stairs.

"Wait!" she called after him. "You're just gonna leave me here?"

He stopped and turned to me, ignoring her. "Let's go, Sam."

As I got up and moved to follow him, Ruby glared at us.

"Oh, oh so you're just too stupid to live, is that it? Then fine! You deserve hell! I wish I could be there, Dean. I wish I could smell the flesh sizzle off your bones! I wish I could be there to hear you scream!"

"And I wish you'd shut your pie hole, but we don't always get what we want," Dean called to her as we reached the top of the stairs.

**DPOV**

Standing by a table, getting our weapons ready, I looked over at Sam. We were silently working, understanding what we were going into and processing the situation. But looking at my brother, I could tell there was more playing on his mind.

As if realising I was watching him, he sighed and spoke up. "We're just gonna let Ruby rot down there?"

"That's the idea," I answered simply as I looked back down at the guns.

It was that simple. She was a demon, a bad guy. We were the good guys. We couldn't afford any distractions. She wanted things from Sam that I wasn't willing to let happen. Despite the fact that yes, he used to have abilities that came from demon blood, I did not think there was much else he could do besides what we were planned.

Ruby was lying, and that was that.

But he still believed her. "Dean, what if, uh... what if Ruby's right? What if I can take out Lilith?" When I looked up at him again, showing the anger and doubt on my face, he shook his head. "Quit looking at me like that."

"What, are you gonna give her the Carrie-stare and Lilith goes 'poof'?"

"I don't know what Ruby meant. You know, maybe we should just go ask her."

"Sam, you wanted the knife. I got you the knife." Turning away, I started for the other table where more weapons sat.

"Dean, just listen to me for a second. Last time Lilith snapped her fingers and put thirty demons on our ass, and all we got's one little knife? I mean, like you said, we go in smart or we don't go in at all."

I shook my head. "Well, this ain't smart."

"We got one shot at this, Dean. Just one. So, if there's a sure-fire way then maybe we should just talk about it."

"Sam." Walking back to him, I needed to get him to understand. "We are not gonna make the same mistake all over again."

"You said that but what does it even mean?"

"Don't you see a pattern here? Dad's deal, my deal, now this? I mean every time one of us is- is- is up the creek the other is begging to sell their soul. That's all this is, man. Ruby's just jerking your chain down the road. You know what it's paved with and you know where it's going." Turning again, I sat against the table and got back to work, avoiding looking at him.

Sighing, Sam came to stand on my side of the table, shaking his head at me. "Dean." He took a seat next to me, watching as I continued with the weapons. "What do you think is gonna happen? This is me, I can handle it."

My hands stopped working on the gun, but I still didn't look at him as he went on.

"And if it'll save you..."

"Why even risk it?" Finally looking up at him, I was met by him looking away for a beat before looking at me again.

"Because you're my brother. Because you did the same thing for me."

I scoffed. "I know... and look how that turned out." He looked away again then. "All I'm saying..." I choked up a little. "Sammy, all I'm saying is that you're my weak spot." When he looked surprised and confused, I gave a short nod. "You are. And I'm yours."

"You don't mean that. We're... we're family."

"I know. And those evil sons of bitches know it too. I mean, what we'll do for each other, you know, how far we'll go? They're using it against us."

"So what? We just stop looking out for each other?"

"No, we stop being martyrs, man. We- we- we stop spreading it for these demons." I picked up Ruby's knife, holding it out in front of him. "We take this knife, and we go after Lilith our way. The way dad taught us to. And if we go down, then, uh... then we go down swinging." When he just looked at me, I shrugged. "What do you think?"

He looked to the floor, thinking for a moment before turning his eyes back to me. "I think you totally should have been jamming _Eye of the Tiger_ right there."

Rolling my eyes, I stood. "Oh, bite me. I totally rehearsed that speech, too."

He chuckled lightly. "So, Indiana, huh?"

"Yeah, where Lilith's on shore-leave."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Tell me something." I turned to him again. "The hell's a demon do for fun?"

...

Try as I might, Baby would not start. Looking to Sam, he was just as confused as I was, watching as I turned the keys over and over again.

Suddenly Bobby and Liz appeared at my window, not looking too pleased.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bobby held up the distributor cap from Baby in his hand.

Sighing, Sam and I got out of the car, moving to stand in front of Bobby and Liz as they waited for an explanation.

"We got the knife," I told them.

"And you intend to use it without us." It wasn't a question, Bobby knew. "Do we look like a couple of ditchable prom-dates to you?"

"No." Sam shook his head. "Of course not."

Looking from Bobby, to Liz, seeing the hurt look in her eyes, I sighed again. "This is about me... and Sam. Ok? This isn't your fight."

Bobby took a step towards me, my words hitting a nerve. "The hell it isn't! Family don't end with blood, boy. Besides, you need me."

"Bobby-"

He cut me off. "You're playing wounded. Tell me, how many hallucinations have you had so far?"

Looking down at the ground, avoiding everyone's eyes, I shifted a little, at the looks I could feel Liz and Sam give me. Then, with a short shrug, I met Bobby's gaze again. "How'd you know?"

"Because that's what happens when you've got hellhounds on your butt. And because I'm smart." with that answer, he handed me the distributor cap. "I'll follow." Turning, he walked towards his car, calling over his shoulder at us. "Don't be stopping to pee every ten minutes either."

Shaking my head at him, I looked to Liz as Sam moved around to get back in the car.

"Look-"

Taking a step closer, she glared up at me. "Don't, 'look' me. We're in this together, Winchester. You didn't like it when I ditched you, so don't do the same to me. Understand?" It was a rhetorical question. Pushing past my shoulder, she moved to the back door. "Now hurry up. Not like we've got all the time in the world."

...

"Hey, Dean?"

Keeping my attention on the road, I glanced at Sam for a moment. "Yeah?"

"You know if this doesn't, uh... this doesn't go the way we want, I want you to know-"

"No," I cut him off, shaking my head. "No, no, no, no."

"'No' what?"

"No, you're not gonna bust out the misty good-bye speech, okay?" I told him, needing things to stay the same. If he started thinking things were going bad, I'd start believing that's the only option. "And if this is my last day on earth, I do not want it to be socially awkward. You know what I do want?" Reaching over, I flicked the radio on just as Bon Jovi's _Wanted Dead or Alive_ started.

"Bon Jovi?" Liz sounded amused and surprised.

I nodded, looking at her through the rear-view mirror with a grin. "Bon Jovi rocks, on occasion."

She smiled back at me as I began to sing along to the song.

" _And I walk these streets_

_A loaded six-string on my back_

_I play for keeps"_

Nudging Sam, I encouraged them both to join. "Come on."

" _'Cause I might not make it back_

 _I've been everywhere_ "

Finally, reluctantly, Sam started singing as well.

" _Oh yeah_ "

Looing in the mirror again, I gave Liz a pointed look that had her rolling her eyes before she joined us as well.

" _And I'm standing tall_

_I've seen a million faces_

_And I rocked 'em all_

_'Cause I'm a cowboy_

_On a steel horse I ride_

_I'm wanted_ "

The two of them were really getting into it now.

" _Wanted!_

_Dead or Alive_

_Dead or Alive_

_Dead or Alive..._ "

As they kept singing my smile faded. Neither of them noticed me fall silent, my attention seemingly back on the road. But in all honesty, I wasn't in the car anymore. No, my mind was focused on too much. On the past, the future, the 'what if's'.

I had no idea what was coming for me, and that's what scared me the most.

**Bamby**


	31. To Hell

**EPOV**

Sirens caught our attention. We all looked back in question. I mean, like I said, time was precious to us. We didn't have a lot to start with, so wasting it with cops and bull like that, it wasn't the best.

"We getting pulled over?" Sam asked.

Dean glanced at his side view mirror. "I've got a busted tail-light. It's not like we're in a hurry or nothing." He sighed and pulled over, coming to a stop as he waited for the cop, winding his window down.

The officer walked up to his window, shining his flash light through the glass, and right into my face before he checked out Sam and then stopped on Dean.

Dean stayed calm and focused. "Problem officer?"

"License and registration, please."

Not looking at the cop yet, Dean grabbed his papers and handed them over without another word. If we wanted to get out of here fast, the best thing to do was to just go along with it.

"Do you realise you have a tail-light out, Mr Hagard?"

Dean looked up at him then, though didn't respond right away. His body language gave me the impression there was something wrong. But when he didn't finally speak, I dismissed the idea.

"Yes… yes sir. Uh… you know I've been meaning to… take care of that. As a matter of fact-"

Suddenly, Dean opened his door, hitting the officer in the stomach with it. While the cop was recovering, Dean rushed out of the car and stepped up to him, punching the officer a few times.

"Dean!" I hurried out of the car to stop him.

Sam was right behind me, just as shocked as I was. "Dean!"

Ignoring us, Dean punched the cop a few more times before reaching for his belt and pulling out the knife which he then used to stab the cop. Thrusting the blade through his jaw.

Booby pulled up and rushed over just as we all saw a flash of light had me freeze, recognising that light as the same one every demon glowed before they died from the Colt or the knife. Pulling the knife away, Dean let the body drop before he stood over it, panting.

Bobby was the first to speak. "What the hell happened?"

"Dean just killed a demon." Sam looked to his brother with wide eyes. "How'd you know?"

Still breathing heavily, Dean looked to the demon, then to his brother, just as shocked. "I just knew. I could see its face. Its real face under that one," he explained as he looked back down at the demon.

Seeing the concerned look on everyone's faces, I took a step forward. "Hey." Cupping Dean's cheek, I turned his face so he looked down at me. "You okay?"

Looking into my eyes, it took a moment before he nodded. "Yeah."

"All right." Pulling away slightly, I looked to Bobby and Sam. "Let's get this body in that trunk." I gestured to the cop car. "And then hide the car. We're running out of time. So, let's do this fast, people."

Bobby and Sam got to work right away, leaving me to take care of Dean. Not that he needed taking care of. But I could see more than the others. I could see the fear in his eyes, and what was happening to him. I recognised the looks from years ago, the same ones from my mum...

**DPOV**

I might've been freaking out a little. I just didn't get it. First with the nightmares, then with Sam and Liz's face, now I could see demon's. It was weird. Anyone would freak out. Any sane person at least.

Having a job to do helped. Having Sam, Bobby and Liz around helped. If we hadn't found where Lilith was, I would have spent my last few hours sitting on my ass, miserable. They kept me going. Gave me a reason to keep going. It was nice.

Using the broken branches Liz and I had gathered, the four of us worked on covering the cop car so it wouldn't be seen for a while. Chances are there wasn't any DNA or evidence that could tie the kill back to us, but if there was the last thing we wanted was for the FBI to be on our case again.

"So what, now you're seeing demons?" Sam asked.

I shrugged. "I've seen all kinds of things lately but... nothing like this."

"It's not exactly weird, if we're being honest."

I turned to Liz, confused and stunned. "How is it now weird?"

"Well..." She stepped away from the car and gave a short shrug. "You've got, what? Five hours left? The less time you have the closer to hell you are. You're getting a glimpse of the other side."

I still didn't get it. "And that means?"

"You're almost hell's bitch. So, you can see hell's other bitches," Bobby dumbed it down for me.

I was surprised by his bluntness at first, before I rolled my eyes at his attitude. "Thank you."

"Well, actually it could come in pretty handy," Sam noted, looking on the bright side.

Shaking my head, I got back to covering the car. "Oh, well, I'm glad my doomed soul is good for something."

"Damn right it is." Bobby nodded. "Lilith's probably got demons stashed all over town. We can't let them sound the alarm. She knows we're here, we're dead before we're started."

"Well, this is a terrific plan. I'm excited to be a part of it." I threw the last branch on. "Can we go, please?"

**EPOV**

"It's the little girl," Dean told us as we all stood by a window, on the second floor of a house across the street from where Lilith was staying. "Her face is awful."

I looked over at the window he was looking through, seeing a little girl around seven or eight. I wasn't sure, all I knew was that she was young, and innocent. Her body being used for the entertainment of a monster, killing a terrorising that family.

"We go now." I turned away from the others, heading for the door.

"Lizzie's right. We're wasting time." Sam was right behind me.

"Wait!" Dean called, grabbing his brother's arm.

Sam spun around, looking at Dean confused. "For what? For it to kill the rest of them?"

"Yeah, and us too if we're not careful. Look." Looking out the window again, Dean nodded to the street. "See the real go-getter mailman on the clock at nine PM?"

Taking a look, we all spotted what he'd noticed. A mailman, out standing by his truck, flicking through the deliveries, clearly bored. They might as well put him under a neon sign saying, 'Demon'.

"And Mr Rogers over there."

We looked to where Dean pointed, seeing an old man sitting on a chair in his living room, facing the window, the light on next to him as he read. At least he looked normal.

"Demons?" Bobby asked.

Dean gave a firm nod. "Yes."

"Ok, fine." Sam sighed, lowering his binoculars. "We- we- we- we, we ninja pass those guys, sneak in."

"Then what? Give a 'Colombian necktie' to a ten-year-old girl, come on!"

I could see why Dean was struggling with the plan now. But what he wasn't seeing, was the bigger picture.

"Dean." Stepping closer to him, I looked into his eyes, trying to be soft and understanding as I spoke. "No one wants to kill the little girl. But there is more to this than just her. There are other people in danger. Innocent people."

Sam stepped closer as well, continuing on from where I'd finished. "This isn't just about saving you, Dean. This is about saving everybody."

"She's gotta be stopped, son," Bobby added.

Dean looked to his brother, to Bobby and then back to me, thinking it through, wondering about his options. But it became clear to him that there were no real options here. It was either run, or fight.

He gave a slight shake of his head, groaning. "Oh, damn it."

**DPOV**

I looked over to see the mailman spot me. _Right on time._ Making a run for it, I ran around the house, knowing he was hot on my trail. As I dashed around the corner, I gave Liz a nod, signalling her to get ready. A moment later, the mailman came running around.

Liz grabbed him effortlessly, pressing her hand against his mouth as Sam came out of the bushes, knife in hand. He plunged the blade into the demon quickly, all of this happening in mere seconds. As soon a Sam pulled the knife out of the dead demon, Liz let the body drop.

We repeated this again, killing the other demon. Once both demons were dead, we hid the bodies in the empty house Bobby was holed up in, doing his own thing.

With the coast hopefully now clear, I went ahead to lead the others to the home where Lilith was. I was quite a few steps ahead, moving through some bushes before both Liz and Sam. I was too far ahead for them to warn me.

Suddenly I was shoved against the fence, my face pressing against the links.

"I'd like my knife back, please," Ruby spoke into my ear, pissed. "Or your neck snaps like a chicken bone."

Just as suddenly as she'd grabbed me, she was pulled off with the knife pressing against her throat as Sam pulled her a few steps away from me. "He doesn't have it. Take it easy."

Liz came through the bushes and towards me, standing protectively and close as the three of us watched the demon carefully. Sam may still think she has some worth, but I was sure Liz was on my side. She was a demon, and that meant she couldn't be trusted.

"How the hell did you get out?"

"What you don't know about me could fill a book." Ruby turned her glare to me.

The moment I saw her face completely, I saw her _face_ completely. The demon one. The one that looked like death times twenty. Pain, misery and torture. Everything that had ever been done to her and she'd ever done to anyone else. All the horrible things in her life and the hell she'd been through. That's the only way I could describe how she looked.

My eyes went wide at the sight. "Whoa."

"What?" She was clearly confused.

Not wanting to see her anymore, I looked away. But curiosity got the best of me, causing me to give another glance before I looked away complete, shaking my head. "Nothing. I just- I couldn't see you before, but you're one ugly broad."

Rolling her eyes, Ruby turned to my brother. "Sam, give me the knife before you hurt yourself."

Surprisingly, he didn't listen. "You'll get it when this is over."

But she wasn't giving up that easily. "It's already over. I gave you a way to save Dean, you shot me down. Now it's too late. He's dead. And I'm not gonna let you die too."

"Try and stop me, and I'll kill you... bitch," he added for emphasis.

"Hit me with your best shot, baby."

"Ah, guys... can we do this later?" Liz asked, an urgency in her voice. "Our time's up."

She was looking through the fence and across the road. The rest of us followed her gaze, seeing several people- their eyes black- standing outside their homes, watching us.

 _Son of a..._ "So much for the element of surprise."

"Go." Sam opened the fence gate, ushering us through. "Go. Run. Run!"

We made a break for it, running as fast as we could. The demons were hot on our heels. If Bobby's part of the plan didn't kick in soon, we were screwed.

As we reached the porch I could see the look in Liz's eyes. She wanted to unlock the door. But in the urgency, she might be too loud. We needed something stealthier, which is why Sam fell to his knees by the door and go to work picking the lock.

The demons were closer now, and by the looks of it, we weren't going to get away from them. They would reach and kill us and this would all be over...

Liz lifted her hands and all at once the demons froze and dropped to the ground.

I turned, seeing the struggle on her face already. I wanted to pull her out of it, to make her stop. But we all knew I wouldn't, that I couldn't. Not when it was our only way. Not when we'd all die if she didn't keep the demons away.

But sure enough, Liz was already beginning to shake. It was too much for her, holding all the demons back. She hadn't healed properly from the last time she'd done this.

I sighed in frustration. "What the hell is taking Bobby?"

Looking to Sam expectantly, waiting for him to unlock the door, he looked panicked as he rushed. "I'm trying!"

The sound of water and screaming had me turn back to see Liz let go of the demons as they screamed and pulled back from the grass. The sprinklers were on, spraying holy water around the house, liken a protective shield keeping them out and us in. Bobby had come through.

"Dean I got it," Sam called behind me.

I laughed at the demons and started for the door, only to be stopped by Ruby.

"A little help here?" She was holding a weak Liz up. I hadn't even noticed Liz had nearly fallen.

Stepping up to them, I lifted Liz into my arms. "I got you, sweetheart." Carrying her bridal style, Ruby followed me as I hurried into the house, Sam already inside and closing the door behind us.

All eyes landed on the body of an old woman that sat right in the middle of the walkway.

I turned away from the body, scanning the rest of what I could see of the house. "You think Lilith knows we're here?"

Ruby was the one to answer, and I didn't like what she had to say. "Probably."

**EPOV**

Dean set me on my feet. "You okay to walk?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

Everything felt weak and sore. I was fighting to keep my eyes open, which gave me the impression fighting and running were off the table for me. Maybe I could walk, but I wouldn't be of much use anymore.

"Okay..." Dean paused for a moment as he thought about what we could do. Looking me up and down, he eventually gave a sort nod. "You come with me." His arm slid around my waist.

"Dean-"

He cut Sam off, "I don't trust her." He gestured to Ruby. "Not gonna leave Liz weak with her, and not really up to hanging out with the black-eyed bitch myself."

Ruby rolled her eyes, shook her head and looked away. "Whatever. Can we just do this already. We're wasting time here," she noted, walking off.

Sam gave me a quick, small, sad smile, before he followed Ruby into the next room. Dean's grip on my waist tightened as he gave me a short nod before the two of us started off, right behind Sam.

As we walked through the dining room, a noise behind us caught Dean's and my attention. He gave my waist a quick squeeze as a warning before he quickly let me go, spun around and grabbed a man, covering the guy's mouth with his hand to keep him quiet.

I'd managed to stay standing, but a little wobbly on my feet. Luckily, Sam was right there, offering me any help I might need just in case I couldn't keep myself up any longer.

"Shh," Dean whispered. "We're here to help. Ok? I'm gonna move my hand, and we're gonna talk nice and quiet, okay?"

The man nodded a yes, and so Dean slowly removed his hand, but at the same time was ready to cover his mouth again just in case the man was lying.

When he stayed silent, Sam spoke. "Sir, where is your daughter?"

The man turned to Sam, shaking his head, speaking lowly. "It's not... it's not her anymore."

"Where is she?" Sam repeated.

"Upstairs. In her bedroom."

"Okay, okay, okay." Dean nodded, getting the man's attention again. "Listen to me. I want you to go downstairs to the basement. Put a line of salt at the door behind you. Do you understand me?"

But the man shook his head again, not willing to go. "Not without my wife."

"Yes, without your wife," Dean insisted.

"No."

Sighing, Dean lighted his gun and used the butt of it to hit the man in the head, knocking him out. Grabbing the man before he could fall, Dean lifted him over his shoulder and gave the rest of us a look before he walked off, heading for the basement.

**SPOV**

We'd left Lizzie with Dean as the two of them dealt with the man. Meanwhile, Ruby and I were headed upstairs, looking for the little girl's room. With the knife in my hand, I was pretty sure I was ready to do this. To kill Lilith. Even if that meant I was going to have to kill a little girl at the same time. That part was what I wasn't too sure about...

We reached the first door. Ruby moved to grab its handle, giving me a quick nod as she started turning it, opening the door. I waited until she disappeared inside and the door closed behind her before I headed for the next door.

I cautiously moved to the next door, leaning in close to it to try and hear anything from inside. When I couldn't hear anything, I opened the door and walked in.

I knew right away that it was the little girl's room. Pink everywhere. Toys, stuffed animals and a princess bed with its curtains drawn, making it hard to see what was on the bed.

Knife still in hand, I moved to the bed slowly and carefully. Never taking my eyes off the bed, and the barely visible figures inside. Shifting the knife in my hand, I got it into a position so it would be easier to stab Lilith with.

Reaching for the draped around the bed, I pulled them back as slowly and quietly as possible, so as not to wake Lilith.

The little girl's mum was lying next to her, awake and afraid, breathing heavily. She looked from me, to my knife. "Do it." Her voice was barely above a whisper so as not to disturb the little girl curled into her.

I raised the knife, getting ready to kill her. I knew it had to be done.

"Do it," the woman repeated.

The girl stirred a little, making a very human and innocent noise as she sighed in her sleep. That noise had me hesitate as I tried to remind myself that yes it was a little girl, but inside her was a ruthless, dangerous demon.

"Do it. Do it. Do it."

The girl moved, beginning to stir. The woman was getting more and more panicked, her fear growing with every passing second. But I couldn't do it. I was frozen.

"Do it! Hurry!"

The girl sat up, her eyes barely opened as she looked towards me. Eyes slowly opened, the girl and I froze as our eyes locked.

She let out a high-pitched scream.

The noise had me moving, lunging towards her, my grip on the knife tighter as I grabbed her arm and got ready to kill her once and for all.

"No!" The knife flew out of my grasp and across the room as a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

Looking behind me, towards to door, I spotted the knife, now in Lizzie's hand as she used the door frame to keep herself standing. It was Dean who had grabbed and stopped me.

When I turned to him with question in my eyes, he shook his head. "It's not her." He gestured to the little girl. "It's not in the girl anymore."

Sobbing, the girl turned to her mother. "Mummy!"

"Mummy's here." The woman held her daughter in a tight hug. "Mummy's here. It's okay."

**EPOV**

Sam helped me down the stairs as we followed Dean, with Ruby right behind us. Dean was leading the woman and little girl down to the basement, where they would be safe from both Lilith and the Hellhounds- if they came.

"Alright, no matter what you hear. You, your husband and your daughter stay in the basement," Dean told them.

The woman gave a short nod as she hurried into the basement, Dean going with them.

"Well, I hate to be a 'told you so'." Ruby looked both smug and pissed as the three of us walked past the basement door.

"Alright Ruby, where is she?" Sam was not in the mood to mess around.

"I don't know."

As we entered the living room, Sam looked to the windows. "Could she get past the sprinklers?"

"Her pay grade, she ain't sweating the holy water."

Letting me go so I could lean against the back of the couch, Sam turned to Ruby. "Ok, you win. What do I have to do?"

She looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"To save Dean. What do you need me to do?" he asked as Dean walked into the room.

Dean grabbed him from behind, trying to turn Sam as he spoke. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Sam shrugged Dean off. "Just shut up for a second." He looked to Ruby again. "Ruby!"

She just shook her head at him. "You had your chance. You can't just flip a switch. We needed time."

"Well, there's gotta be something. There's gotta be some way, whatever it is, I'll do it." Sam was desperate, we could hear it in his voice. Dean grabbed him again, but Sam fought against him. "Don't, Dean! I'm not gonna let you go to hell, Dean!"

"Yes, you are!" Dean yelled, turning Sam so they could look at each other. "Yes, you are," he repeated, calmer. He looked from Sam, to me and then back, seeing the worried, scared and pained looks in our eyes. "I'm sorry. I mean this is all my fault, I know that. But what you're doing, it's not gonna save me. It's only gonna kill you."

Tears building in his eyes, Sam looked away. "Then, what are we supposed to do?"

"Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Take care of each other." Dean nodded to me as he kept looking to his brother. "Sam, remember what dad taught you. Okay?" Sam gave a quick nod before Dean went on. "And remember what I taught you."

A tear slipped from my eye barely a second before we all heard a grandfather click chime as it hit midnight. We all turned to it, knowing what that meant.

Pushing away from the couch, I threw my arms around Dean as I began to sob against his shoulder. His arms wrapped around me tightly, his face buried in the crook of my neck as he pressed a gentle kiss there.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Ruby spoke. "I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy."

We all heard the Hellhounds howl a moment before they growled, closer now.

Dean pulled away and turned to look at one of the doorways, his body tense. "Hellhound."

Sam spun to look where Dean was looking. "Where?"

"There." Dean nodded to the doorway. Only he could see it. Maybe Ruby too, but that didn't help us.

Everything happened so suddenly.

Dean slowly pulled away from me, his hand finding mine. He gave it a little squeeze, a quick warning, before he was running, pulling me along.

We ran into another room, Ruby and Sam right behind us. I lifted my free hand and threw the doors together quickly, slamming them and holding them shut. Dean let go of my hand and moved to pour some goofer dust across the doorway before he hurried to do the same to all the windows. The moment the goofer dust was spread, I let the doors go, knowing the Hellhounds couldn't cross.

"Give me the knife." Ruby stepped up to me. "Maybe I can fight it off."

Sam moved closer to me, looking to Ruby confused. "What?"

I shook my head. "Ruby-"

She cut me off. "Come on! That dust won't last forever."

She was right. Sighing, I pulled the knife out of the inside pocket of my jacket. Reaching out, I began to hand it over, only to be stopped as Dean yelled out.

"Wait!"

We all paused and turned to him.

"You wanna die?" Ruby snapped.

Ignoring her comment, Dean shook his head. "Liz, that's not Ruby. It's not Ruby!"

Sam and I turned to Ruby again, I pulled the knife away and lifted my other hand to push her away.

But she was faster and stronger, flinging us across the room and against the wall, holding us there. The impact had the knife fall out of my hand and my head hit the wall hard. She threw Dean next, throwing him onto the table, pinning him.

Grunting, Dean fought against her hold so he could lift his head and look to her. "How long you been in her?"

Her facial expressions changed, going from the Ruby we knew to a more childlike look. Lilith had taken over the body. "Not long." She looked down at her body as she spoke. "But I like it. It's all grown up and pretty." Turning back to Dean, she flashed her white eyes.

"And where's Ruby?" Sam strained.

Her eyes going back to normal, Lilith turned to him. "She was a very bad girl, so I sent her far, far away." She tilted her head with each of the last three words, the sound of her neck cracking ringing through the room.

"You know, I should have seen it before... but you all look alike to me," Dean sneered.

After a beat, she turned her head to Sam and slowly began to walk towards him. "Hello, Sam. I've wanted to meet you for a very long time." Grabbing his chin, she forced him to look at her as she leaned forward and kissed him. "Your lips are soft."

Sam pulled away from her as much as he could. "Right, so you have me. Let my brother and Lizzie go."

"Silly goose. You wanna bargain, you have to have something that I want." She clicked her tongue. "You don't."

"So, is this your big plan, huh? Drag me to hell. Kill Sam and Liz. And then what? Become queen bitch?"

Lilith snapped her head to look at Dean. "I don't have to answer to puppy chow." Letting go of Sam with a slight smile, she moved to the door, grabbing the handle. "Sic 'em, boy."

"No!" The word pulled itself from my lips.

But it was too late.

Laughing and smiling wide, Lilith opened the door, scrapping the goofer dust away. There was a bark and a growl before the Hellhound grabbed Dean's leg and pulled him off the table.

Dean screamed as it began to rip him apart.

Sam and I could do nothing but watch as he was torn to shreds, killed right in front of us as Lilith watched it all, a look on her face of pure evil joy.

"No!" Sam yelled. "Stop!"

Dean screamed more as he turned onto his stomach, trying to get away. But the hound kept ripping into him.

"Stop it!" Sam begged.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't do anything except cry with wide terrified eyes as I watched Dean in agonising pain.

Watching Dean brought up so many things. The image of my mother, lying on the floor, cut up just like Dean was now. I felt like the little naive girl I'd been all those years ago, weak and useless.

But at the same time, I felt everything inside me break as I watched Dean. As I watched the man I... the man I had grown feelings for, get torn to shreds. The hope I'd been holding on to, the denial I'd been pushing forward. All of it crumbled as I watched him.

"No!"

Dean rolled over to his back again, only for the hound to cut into his chest. Blood gushed out from all the wounds, killing Dean.

"No. Stop it. Stop it!"

As the blood kept pouring Dean stopped screaming. He wasn't dead yet, but he was close.

"No!"

Lilith smiled at Sam. "Yes."

Raising her hand, a bright white light erupted from it. As it built up, getting brighter and brighter, Sam and I looked away, closing our eyes. It was hot, and heavy, the light a physical presence in the room.

I could feel the power behind it. Somehow, I knew this was a weapon, a way Lilith killed. A way she tortured and maimed. Yet, as the light died, I looked over to see Sam still intact. We both were. We were on the ground, no longer being held by Lilith, but we were intact and unharmed.

She looked confused and shocked, even a little afraid, holding her hand up again as a warning. "Back."

Getting to our feet, my strength now back, Sam and I moved towards her.

"I said, back."

With a determined look on his face, Sam bent down and grabbed Ruby's knife. "I don't think so."

I lifted my hand to hold her in place so Sam could take his time ripping her apart just as her dogs had done to Dean.

But before either of us could do anything, Lilith opened her mouth and exited the body in a cloud of black smoke that shot through the air vent in the ceiling above her.

Once the demon was out of the body, it collapsed, the vessel dead.

Neither Sam or I cared. Our attention turned back to Dean, seeing him unmoving and still bleeding as he lay on the floor.

Tears began to form in my eyes again and I fell to my knees by his side, grabbing his hand and lifting it to my lips to give it a kiss.

Sam dropped to his knees, crying as well, as he grabbed Dean and pulled his body onto his lap. "No... no... Dean... Dean."

With Dean gone...

**The End...**

**Bamby**


End file.
